A Carleton entrepreneurial team recently launched their smartphone app “Props” at an event on campus.
University president Roseann Runte and several faculty members attended the launch to show their support for the team of students, all from Carleton. Ottawa mayor Jim Watson also extended his support to the team.
Props is a free smartphone app that helps the user network in a pinch. Users just needs to touch their smartphones together to get connected on each other’s social media profiles, and message within the app’s chat facility. This eliminates the need for cumbersome pen and paper or noting down contact information, according to co-creator Greg Dillon, a communications major.
“Our idea came from an entrepreneur class here at Carleton, BUSI 2800. We were placed in a group of four that we hadn’t met before. We had 10 minutes to meet our group members and exchange contact information,” Dillon said. “Within that 10 minutes, I had (co-creator) Brayden’s name under someone else’s number, I had to find (co-creator) Mo on Facebook and his last name was spelled differently, so that’s when we decided there has to be a better solution for this.”
Dillon said the app’s development and business took about a year, and was slowed down due to lack of funding.
The team picked up momentum after receiving funding from Tartan Homes founder and philanthropist Wes Nicol, who is a graduate of Carleton’s business school.
“It really gave us that sense of confidence and that kind of desire for success. It gave us the credibility as well, a big figure in Ottawa standing behind us,” Dillon said.
“Bump,” a now-defunct app, used a similar touch and share interface to share files, photos and contacts. Co-creator and computer science major Brayden Girard said despite this similarity, Props is going in a very different direction by focusing on social network sharing.
“Props is primarily for meeting people, right? So we think that the best way to use it would be at networking events for business people, conventions, stuff like that, trade shows, whatever. You can connect on LinkedIn,” Girard said, listing a few ways that Props could be used. “It’s great for students meeting at Frosh, at Carleton events, Ottawa U events, any university event. It’s really for any demographic.”
Girard added that a direct connection is established, eliminating the need to take down immediately note down contact information.
“As soon as you connect with someone, you can message them in app, so if you want to coordinate anything with them after that point, you can message them right on Props to communicate with them,” he said.
The team’s entrepreneurship instructor Tom Duxbury said he felt like a proud parent.
“I have kids too, but these are my academic kids,” Duxbury said. “When I look back at my academic achievements, it’s not about the number of degrees or the number of students that you pass. To me, all the job’s rewards come from starting companies, helping people be successful.”
Tony Bailetti, entrepreneurship co-ordinator and director of Carleton’s technology innovation management program, praised the team for its “novel” idea.
“I think they’re a great team. They’ve done everything right. They’ve got a multidisciplinary team – somebody from the business school, someone from computer science, somebody from communications, somebody from engineering,” Bailetti said.
Props currently supports Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Dillon said it should be released for the public on Apple and Android phones in March.
