Geospatial app makes SWOPing information easy
SWOP founders Sean O'Rourke, 22, Jameson Gardner,23, sit together at the Wilkinson Center at Brigham Young University on Thursday, 2, 2014. The three students have recently launched the app that lets you share information such as your phone number, email address and Facebook information with others based on a swipe. SAMMY JO HESTER, The Daily Herald
With a few quick swipes, users can follow or friend fellow Swop users on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as exchange email addresses and phone numbers.
One of the SWOP founders Sean O'Rourke, 22, checks the SWOP twitter account at the Wilkinson Center at Brigham Young University on Thursday, 2, 2014. The three students have recently launched the app that lets you share information such as your phone number, email address and Facebook information with others based on a swipe. SAMMY JO HESTER, The Daily Herald
It started a few years ago, when BYU student Mitch Fultz ran into a girl on campus who he knew from his hometown. They laughed, they talked, and things were going great, except he couldn’t remember her name.
He dropped subtle hints throughout the conversation, but she wouldn’t take the bait. Finally, he opened a new contact entry in his phone and handed it to her — a typical if not tedious way of exchanging information. She inserted her number, sans her name.
After that experience, the finance major knew there had to be a better way. As a result, swop was born.
An app that uses geospatial technology to allow users to connect on multiple communication platforms, swop eliminates the task of searching for social media usernames or typing in phone numbers. With a few quick swipes, users can follow or friend fellow swop users on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as exchange email addresses and phone numbers.
While geared at Millennials, Swop also works in a business setting for those exchanging information in board meetings and at networking events.
Unlike other information-sharing apps, swop combines the three main sectors of its competition: contact exchange, contact management and geo-social technology. Because it allows users to peruse people around them, it keeps them coming back, said co-founder Sean O’Rourke.
The 22-year-old advertising major joined the swop club in January, a friend of fellow co-founder Jameson Gardner. The two met and became close friends during their freshmen year at BYU. Later, while O’Rourke was serving a mission, Gardner and Fultz wound up in the same LDS student ward.
The three toyed with the idea for a few months before springing to action in May — 24 hours before they were going to pitch the idea to an investor.
“One day we decided to pull the trigger, and it’s been spiraling out of control — in a good way — since then,” O’Rourke said.
The company has raised just under a half million dollars in capital, with other potential investors waiting in the wings, he said.
The college pals have deferred this semester in order to work solely on the app, which will move into beta launch on Oct. 3. But as “lovers of education,” there are hopes of returning to school to complete their degrees.
“The end goal is to lead a successful, well-balanced life,” O’Rourke said. “If the opportunity presents itself to [return to school] and [manage Swop], we’d love to do both.”
Fultz, the app’s ideator and CEO, never did learn the name of his hometown girl, but he and the others plan to never let that happen again. In a social or business setting, there’s now an easier way.
“[Swop] eliminates all the pain and awkwardness of a first meeting and exchange of contact information,” O’Rourke said.
iOS users can download the app starting Oct. 3. The app will be available to Android users in the following weeks. For more information, visit swop.com.
BYU football tailgating party
Three to five hours before the BYU vs. Utah State football game, Swop co-founders Mitch Fultz, Jameson Gardner and Sean O’Rourke will lead the initial launch party outside LaVell Edwards Stadium. Starting at about 3 p.m., activities will include face painting, DJs, yard games and more. The party will continue in the stadium, with a puppy race, raffles and social media contests. A similar launch event is scheduled for Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Launch events are also in the works for university schools in Arizona, California, Idaho, Hawaii and more.
Rooftop Concert Series
Swop will also sponsor a booth at the Downtown Provo Rooftop Concert Series with similar promotional activities meant to incentivize partygoers to download the app. The free event starts at 5 p.m. (music at 7) and will be at the intersection of Center Street and 100 West.
