Product Features
Make warm introductions
with 2nd and 3rd order connections through your existing network
with 2nd and 3rd order connections through your existing network
Set up your bio
connect to social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, and share your location
connect to social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, and share your location
Smart matching algorithm
surfaces recommendations based on your interests, and location to help you identify the people you’re most likely to connect deeply with
surfaces recommendations based on your interests, and location to help you identify the people you’re most likely to connect deeply with
Request an introduction
from a mutual connection and let them connect the dots
from a mutual connection and let them connect the dots
View status of requests
or chat with the new connections in the "My Intros" section
or chat with the new connections in the "My Intros" section
All that’s left to do now, is to get off the phone and meet with the new connections and continue the journey in person.
Why we built Going To
• She's moving to a new location for work and doesn’t know anyone there yet.
• She would like to make some new friends but isn't totally comfortable meeting strangers from the internet
And that's the problem.
All of the tools available to Jesse have her awkwardly connecting with total strangers when all she wants is to meet a new friend through her existing network.
All of the tools available to Jesse have her awkwardly connecting with total strangers when all she wants is to meet a new friend through her existing network.
And Jesse is not alone. 93 million people move to a new place every year and seek a better way to make new friends.
This brings us to -
How might we help adults make friends through their existing network in new locales?
Research
Market Research
Hypothesis
Friends help you get accustomed to a new place easily
People are unsure of the quality of crowd they will interact with through friend-making services.
Making friends is highly activity-based (i.e. work, school, hobby)
The value of making new friends varies based on the age
Research Objectives
1️⃣ Discovering the Friend Making Process
2️⃣ Understand the intentions behind making friends
3️⃣ The emotions that are involved with a new locale & finding friends
💬 Interview Highlights
“What also helps is if you have a friend and meeting friends of friends to broaden your circle”
“It’s definitely harder to make lasting friends because I am older”
“You become friends with people naturally over some common interest.”
💡 Key Insights
People make great friends at social gatherings and events of common interest.
People prefer making friends with friends of friends.
The leading need for local friends is to have shared experiences.
Design Research
👏 What Worked
It sets a different purpose for finding strangers online. Unlike all the existing apps out there.
The possibility of meeting new people through common connections. You're not meeting strangers.
It's an interesting way to meet people who have similar interests.
🚫 Risks & Concerns
Misuse for people looking for partners/hooking up.
It may seem like the app is only connecting people that are moving to new cities, with each other.
The name of the app is confusing. Is it a name or a start of a sentence?
👩💻 Improvements
Filter through interests and maybe find people that have an interest in something I’m trying to learn about
Ability to look for people regardless of their interests.
Keep a relationship status on my profile if I’m not single, so that people also don’t get a wrong message.
Add professional and educational background info
Add events you're looking to attend with a new friend.
If people are willing to share, knowing people with the same ethnicity as mine also adds a lot of contextual conversations.
💖 Does the product provide the value it promises?
4 of 5 said it does.
1 said it's close, but the MVP prioritization is on point.
1 said it's close, but the MVP prioritization is on point.
💰 Would users pay for this?
3 of 5 said yes, but if it had more features and varying subscription options.
2 said they wouldn't, but are willing to view ads to use the service.
2 said they wouldn't, but are willing to view ads to use the service.
Strategy
Market Sizing
Going To is launching with an initial focus on the U.S. market of nearly 2 million professionals who change locales here each year.
Growth Strategy -- Ansoff Matrix
As we begin to identify the niche customer segments and winning social media marketing campaigns, we will scale our customer acquisition spend and continue to invest in the depth of our intellectual property.
Product Development Roadmap
Our development roadmap is split into 3 phases that will allow us to respond to our customer's pain points more immediately while improving their overall experience along the way.
Marketing Strategy
With web analytics technologies, our team will track and target our prospective customers across the internet, while attempting to further nurture our leads via events for relocating professionals.
KPIs & Financials