Photo Credit: flickr
Technology plays a large part in the way people connect with each other nowadays. PIF (Pay It Forward) is an app connecting local entrepreneurs best described as, if Tinder and LinkedIn had a child app. Using the familiar feature of swipe left for “later” and swipe right for “awesome” options depending on whether you want to connect with them. Each user has a profile with a short, “about me” and verified using a Facebook account.
How PIF (Pay It Forward) works
So when two users choose “awesome” for each other the two users are placed in a private conversation where they can then talk and exchange information. Where it gets interesting is the second way that allows users to be placed in a private chat with someone without a mutual request from the other person. This may seem intrusive and going against the first algorithm but it is based on the, “Pay it Forward” system. So whenever someone starts an unsolicited chat it grants the recipient the ability to start one with someone else.
In my opinion PIF is a very valuable tool for someone trying to gain contacts in an industry. However it’s hard to find the benefit the app could have for anyone who is already well connected in the industry. This isn’t a new issue for professional social media platforms. LinkedIn has a similar issue in that there are a few influencers with a large number of people wanting to connect with them.
PIFs view is that we all have people who we would want to connect with, but don’t know they exist. This makes sense for the startup community where finding talent is a major part of the workflow. PIF certainly has potential but like any social media is dependent upon its users.
PIF is out now on iOS App Store and Android Google Play
This article originally appeared on Sparknet Technologies.
