September 2011
1 post
Thanks Air New Zealand for talking up StreetSpark
Air New Zealand covered StreetSpark in their in-flight magazine this month, saying that it is one of the best ways to meet people when you travel to a new destination and want a few tips about what to do when you arrive.
And with Auckland hosting the Rugby World Cup at the moment, there are a lot of rugby fans who have travelled from around the world to be there. Which means lots of chances to...
July 2011
12 posts
You voted - Top 10 places to meet new people
We’ve just tallied the results for our latest StreetSpark streeter poll.
We asked, ‘Where are the best places to meet new people in the city?’
These were your answers.
1 – Nearest park. Whether you are lounging with your book, dog, or bike, there’s a lot of activity around you, it’s a very social place.
2 - Concerts, festivals, and outdoor markets. A Couple of our current...
Quote of the week about Serendipity by Paul Auster...
At StreetSpark we are on a mission to prove how important Serendipity is, and what a big part it plays in peoples’ everyday lives.
Therefore we will be highlighting a Serendipity cultural reference once a week, for the month of August.
We start this series with a quote from Paul Auster, in his book The Brooklyn Follies.
‘If we hadn’t made that decision to get off the highway at Brattleboro and...
August is Serendipity month - you up for the...
New York in August. The city slows down, just to survive the heat. People relax, they may even go on holiday. Warm balmy nights, being outside, a summertime mentality - these combined factors create the ideal backdrop for more random encounters between people.
So we want to use this downtime to test the following hypothesis:
Can StreetSpark uncover more serendipitous encounters using mobile...
Seeking cool french dude
We found this serendipitously online and thought it was great - cool french dude - please tell us the story behind this story!
You’re more connected than you think.
Weak Links, Strong Links and what this has to do with StreetSpark.
You’ve probably already heard of ‘the Dunbar number’- the size of the social network that an individual of any given species can develop and sustain. Apparently us humans can manage to have stable networks of about 148 people. Anything over that, and we’re just showing off.
These are termed as your ‘strong links/connections.’...
Birds of a Feather, must we always hang together??
As of 2008, the majority of the world’s population lives in cities. In highly developed countries (the membership of the OECD), the figure is 77%.
Cities are themselves a communication and technology hub with huge opportunities to look at how people come together and the invisible overlaps they create.
Because everybody lives in such close quarters, cities are built to facilitate new...
10 reasons you need StreetSpark
10 reasons you need StreetSpark.
1. Because you’re already familiar strangers, you just don’t know it.
2. What else are you going to do in Ibiza?
3. You can’t stop staring at the girl in the coffee shop and you need a knock-her-dead icebreaker.
4. Our online world is catching up with our offline one, and we want to switch it back again.
5. There is randomness and then there is serendipity....
StreetSpark CEO Ant Erwin talks with IdeaMensch...
Today StreetSpark CEO Ant Erwin was profiled by IdeaMensch - a community of people with good ideas who say their ‘impossible mission is to help anyone who wants to bring their idea to life, do it.’
Anthony was asked:
What does your typical day look like?
Every day is different. I spend a lot of time meeting and talking with people.
I meet with potential companies and individuals who are...
StreetSpark and Groups - Bring on the Summer...
Time to pull out the tent and if so inclined, the fancy dress, and hit up at least one of the kick ass festivals taking place this summer.
What better place to start a new friendship or romance. But why leave it up to fate? StreetSpark is here to make sure you meet people you’ll really connect with, even before the DJ plays the first set.
From Sonar in Barcelona (this weekend), to the Burning...
Why I believe in Serendipity by Mike Small
Mike Small here, co-founder of StreetSpark. Thought it was time I said a few words too!
I’ve been in IT all my working life, mainly as an Internet security specialist, and I was head Product Manager at Reuters for years. In 2004, I met Ant (my business partner) at a bar near Portland Place in London called the Social. We’ve been friends ever since.
I always wanted to work on a project that I...
The future of online dating is a derivative of...
We believe that the future of online dating is a derivative of social networking.
It is just an extension of a commonly defined way to meet new people.
Match and eHarmony are about finding a spouse and are typically targeted at the 35+ crowd, with an emerging market of 50+. Badoo is all about flirting and is definitely targeting a 21- market.
But what about the rest of us?
There is a massive...
The world's a little smaller, one spark at a time.
Going somewhere new this summer?
No need to spend lonely hours in hotel rooms or worrying about dodgy pick-ups in bars when you can check out StreetSpark where ever you are and find people just like you (and you can do all this before you even leave the airport!)
Interestingly, we’re seeing a rise in sparks in a number of exotic locations worldwide including Egypt, Turkey, and South...
June 2011
7 posts
People are using StreetSpark for all kinds of...
People are using StreetSpark for all kinds of reasons, not just to find dates. Although admittedly, people are using it for that too! Vicky from London says, ‘I’m using the I-phone app which is awesome, it notifies you with any activity happening in your account - convenient for instant messaging :-) the fact that you can use your location and it finds someone around you is so cool, no...
Why I believe in Serendipity
Anthony Erwin here, StreetSpark co-founder.
I’ve always been grappling with the concept that people want to connect with each other on a deeper level – intrigued that if they could only retrace their steps with eyes wide open, they would uncover a pattern - see where their paths have crossed before, and find that they were leading parallel lives without even knowing it.
Serendipity exists. I...
Intro Facebook game: matching friends based on...
Our new ‘Intro’ Facebook App is really hotting up as more and more people find it’s the best way to Intro FB friends - for a number of good reasons! http://bit.ly/jemO3V
The reasons.
1. It is the easiest way to let two friends know why they should meet - from being the male/female version of each other, right through to kicking ass as a Karaoke duo.
As we write this, the most...
Serendipity Part 2 - Be prepared and act upon it
If the first two magic elements of Serendipity are place and time, the third is Action. The power of Social Matching, we hope, is that as you discover and share new interests online (often discovered via friends) you will be matched to new people in the real world. So by using this data that you are already sharing we can open your world to new possibilities. We’re very interested in the idea that...
StreetSpark presents at Canvas8 Event - By chance...
StreetSpark’s Tom DeBree talked Serendipity at a Canvas8 event in London this week. For those people that couldn’t be there, he presented on the three key elements to Serendipity: place, time, and action.
Place first.. The majority of the world lives in cities - which are perfect serendipity engines, built to facilitate new encounters.
Most of us follow a regular pattern of...
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New Facebook 'Intro' App - most addictive way to...
‘Intro’ is a new fun way to introduce the two Facebook friends you’ve always thought should meet. Click here to play.
People are asked to choose who their friend should meet from two randomly selected Facebook friends. A spark is emailed to both people and sent privately to them on Facebook.
If they want to find out more about each other, they can introduce 5 of their friends to unlock more...
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StreetSpark Version 2.0
We just launched version 2.0 in the AppStore – it’s a slicker, more user-friendly version that makes it easier to meet and connect with people just like you. Download it here.
For one thing, you’ll notice that we’re pulling in even more from the social networking you already do to help make better matches, including Facebook ‘likes’ and Twitter. Version 2.0 also has a totally new interface and...
May 2011
4 posts
3 tags
New Feature: StreetSpark Intro
People told us that they wanted a way to introduce their friends that was not so forced and less of a hassle than planning drinks or a dinner party. So we’ve made a game out of it – it’s called StreetSpark Intro and it’s available in the latest version of the StreetSpark app.
Just like Urbanspoon, but with Facebook profile photos, you spin two wheels like a slot machine and line...
3 tags
Watch[music: Itty Bitty 8 Bit by Kevin McLeod]
1 tag
WatchYou may have noticed that we have repositioned StreetSpark as the ‘social matching’ app for meeting new people, moving away from exclusively ‘location-based’ and ‘dating’.
StreetSpark is ideal for finding a concert buddy/foodie sidekick/running partner – essentially, a friend for anything done better with more than one person.
Watch the fun, little video we created to see for yourself! And...
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Startup Learnings
What have we learned so far? As first-time entrepreneurs, we’re learning a ton. Constantly. A few key takeaways so far have been to simplify the product, and then simplify again. People have less tolerance than you think. So we’re trying to make the product as straightforward as it can be. Version 2.0 of the app will have a much cleaner and simpler UI and UX.
And of course, listen to what...
April 2011
2 posts
1 tag
The Idea Behind the App
We thought there should be a better and easier way to meet new like-minded people. We explored ways where we could do the hard work for people – so instead of them searching or scrolling through profiles, we would do the matching for them, in real time (and send them the details of the matches as they happen). We wanted to show the specific reasons for the match, and the overlaps of relevant...
March 2011
1 post
1 tag
StreetSpark at SxSW
The StreetSpark team’s first crack at SxSW in Austin, Texas was a pretty good success. We got to meet some very interesting individuals. There was more than one serendipitous moment shared. Our Sparkees hit the streets to spread the word and Ignite and Extinguish a few people along the way (including Mike Tyson) AND we were rated one of the top 20 apps to watch for - http://bit.ly/e5zJyQ ...
February 2011
1 post
Hello, Big Apple!
Since StreetSpark arrived in NYC (hurray!) we have noticed there is nothing New Yorkers like better than a good tip - the latest thing to do, place to go, app to try. And they love their social media. Cool - so we can make everybody happy because StreetSpark uses the stuff people already share on Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare as part of our social matching criteria. Matching people in real...