Category: Business Planning

During the coronavirus pandemic, design executive Trip O’Dell says he’s connected with dozens of new people. It’s not that he’s been dodging the need to quarantine. Instead, O’Dell has been connecting through video chats arranged by a startup called Lunchclub that pairs people with common interests for serendipitous conversations. “There’s an element of meeting that really interesting person on a cross-country flight that you just end up talking the whole time,” he says. Through the service, he’s connected with venture capitalists, making connections for a startup he advises, and even lined up a speaking engagement after discussing his own experiences with dyslexia and his work in accessible design. Lunchclub and apps like it have come to fill a void during a time when business conferences, local meetups, and social outings of all kinds have gone to Zoom—or just gone away. These digital tools connect users via shared interests and a dose of randomness by putting two strangers on a video call where hopefully they hit it off. Some, like Lunchclub, focus more on connecting for business purposes, while other services connect people to discuss hobbies and other shared interests. These services have effectively stepped in to fill a pandemic-era void, in which the types of serendipitous encounters that drive people to move to big cities and attend conferences and conventions have been strictly limited for virus safety reasons. Lunchclub , which uses machine learning to match members with others who share their interests, didn’t originate during the coronavirus era. It got its start about three years ago primarily connecting people for actual in-person lunches and meetings. Cofounder and CEO Vladimir Novakovski says that the platform’s creators had realized that traditional social networks don’t really facilitate new connections—rather, they’re built around existing ones. About a year ago, with the spread of the virus, the company successfully switched from in-person meetings to video calls. “Last year, we grew across the board very significantly,” Novakovski says, explaining that the professionally focused network saw a rise in new members who work in entertainment, biotech, and other industries. Novakovski says users range from young students to senior executives; members are asked to specify their interests and a bit about what they do when they sign up. Members also list goals like “explore new projects” or “brainstorm with peers,” and connect sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to provide data for better matchmaking. “Everyone has long-term goals, and we understand what those are and ask about them on registration,” he says. “At the end of the day, people understand the way they’re going to achieve them is through building their network with relevant people who have mutual interests and mutual values around the same place in their career.” The platform is currently free, but Novakovski says he envisions that in the future Lunchclub could license its technology to anyone looking to connect like-minded people, whether that means wedding planners or conference organizers Read More …