Meet the business matchmaker, says Perry Timms
We’re now so used to social media platforms connecting us, that social media giants, like Facebook and Instagram – ‘big social’ – have become either a key tool or a nuisance (or somewhere in between) for many of us.
But what about ‘small social’? What about an algorithm that can help us match people with a similar geographical, professional and learning suite of interests?
Shapr does this. A simple, free app available on iOS and Google Play stores, you do the usual (sign up, create a profile) and then, once a day, the app will find matches for you – people like you, but perhaps not known to you – taking the randomness out of networking.
The app invites you to swipe and indicate a match; connect and send a message, and even meet in real-life over a coffee.
It’s easy to use, relevant and simple to:
- Find that contact you might need to plug a knowledge gap and share yours with them
- Look for the next partner, hire or collaborator on a project, research venture or work assignment
- Identify other linkers who can help you connect to those in their network while you reciprocate for them
Shapr might be just the thing to shape your network in an intelligent, convenient and unbiased way.
— Shapr is an iOS and Android app