The New York Times ran an interesting article this week on Sportaneous, a free iPhone app aimed at pick-up sports. The idea centers around users creating a game and then inviting others in their area to join for, say, pick-up basketball. The concept is great. The trouble has been getting anyone to use the system. Apps based on crowd sourcing need just that-- a crowd. Without participating users there is no real value.
Recognizing the short-comings of Sportaneous, the App developers are now targeting the Columbia community. Columbia grad students, the developers seem to have hit on something. By aiming at a community they know well, the user base has quickly risen from 100 to 900. There was even a campus wide game of Quidditch organized recently.
The article is interesting in that it addresses several key issues around app development and digital marketing. An idea or quality product are not simply enough. One must get your message out there and build a dynamic and engaged user base. Starting with a community you know well is the most logical and effective use of time. There is also an issue of scalability. If the developers succeed in tapping a significant market share of the 20,000+ Columbians on campus, the potential to replicate the model around other universities is great.
At a minimum, the article makes me a little curious. Perhaps a game of pick-up basketball really is in my future.
Sportaneous:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/nyregion/for-the-sportaneous-app-an-uneven-success.html?ref=technology
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