This document proposes the concept of Instantbuddies, a service that allows global nomads, business travelers, and other mobile individuals to connect with like-minded people in different cities around the world. The service would focus on in-person interactions based on shared interests, enabling users to meet up when visiting new places. It aims to redefine friendship beyond existing ties by facilitating easy, anonymous connections among travelers and temporary residents looking for instant companionship in new locations.

1. Concept for Global NomadsZayera Khan, 14 september 2009Instantbuddies

2. Instantbuddies is a conceptaimed at global nomads, business people, or customers who travel for otherreasonsthantourism and stay for shorter, longer period in a city.Main purpose is to offer a tool for connecting, at the go, on the spot with like-minded persons and making ”friends”.Target audience: anyonecanbecome a member, put a focus on ”global nomads”.Make money on ”membership”, and additional services.Concept, targetaudience, profit?

3. Slide 1: BuddiesThis is my best buddie, Juan.We share an interest in photography, and wheneverwemeet, wetake and composephotostogether.Like Juan, I have friends all over the world in different cities. Since I do not live close to many of my friends – I miss themveryoften!

4. Slide 2: ImagineAnywhere, AnytimeImagine, just hooking up with friends, anywhere, anytime – at your convenience and need.Howwould that be? To connect with total strangers and be ”instantbuddies”?

5. Slide 3: Connecting with buddiesJust walk into a café, coffehouse, restaurant and hook up with a buddies, on the spot!Not your cup of tea? Fine, lets look at the ”buddies” availablenear you and you DECIDE to interact or not.

6. Slide 4: Your choiceLooking for instantbuddies??Share a passion for photography? Hiking? Art?Clubbing, gothmusic?It’s your choice to decide, whichcriteria you choose to connect with strangers.

7. A communitywhichletpeopleconnect, anywhere, anytime via a website, or mobile application.Geographic service ”I am here”.Based on sharedinterests (not a dating service!).Hang out, socialize in public spaces.Re-definingfriendship in Cities!Slide 5: ConceptualizationMuuuuMuuuu

8. Community rules are important.Privacy is King!Aim is to buildfriendshipsbeyond age, gender, race…Slide 6: Privacy is KingMooohMoooooh

9. The aim of the service (website, application) will not be as Frienster.com, Facebook, or other social networkingsites.Main focus is on geography and reachingbeyondcircle of established and existingfriendships.Application (for exampleiPhone, Blueberry, IM) based on geography and showing information about a member – anonymous, privacy, and trustworthy.Slide 7: Redefinefriendship

10. Emphasis is not ONLINE activityMemberscanhavetheirownprofile pages (not public)Membersmaycontacteachother (no photos, history, etc)Face-2-face meetings and interactionsMeaningful and like real friendshipstrustworthyThis service will not be a mass-marketapplication, butrather a niche-service for business people, travellers, or simply global nomads who for anyreason are looking to connect with others IRL and instantly!Slide 8: Enabling face-2-face

11. Enableconnections and meetingswithout technologyA user is visiting a city, or temporarilyresidingsomewhere, butdoes not haveanyconnectivity, access to internet or device (no wireless, too high roamingcosts, etc) – howcan a userconnectthen?No moderation necessary, that is users are ”power-users” and do not requireanyassistance or helpenablinginteractions or meetings.Slide 9: Challenges

12. MySpace: Started in 2003, MySpace was a driving force in popularizing social networking and still maintains a large userbase. Facebook: Founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook was designed as a social networking site for Harvard students. After spreading from Harvard through the university ranks and down into high school, Facebook was opened to the public in 2006.Hi5: A fast-growing social network with a strong base in Central America, Hi5 has over fifty million users worldwide.Ning: A social network for creating social networks, Ning takes the idea of groups to a whole new level. Slide 10: TopSites

13. Flixster: With a tagline of "stop watching bad movies," Flixster combines social networking with movie reviews.Last.fm: Billing itself as a social music site, Last.fm allows members to create their own radio station that learns what the person likes and suggests new music based on those interests. In addition to this, you can listen to the radio stations of friends and other Last.fm members.LinkedIn: A business-oriented social network, members invite people to be "connections" instead of "friends." Linkedin is a contact management system as well as a social network, and has a question-and-answer section similar to Yahoo! Answers.Xanga: A social blogging site that combines social networking elements with blogging. Members earn credits for participating in the site and can spend credits on various things such as buying mini-pictures to post in the comments of a friend's blog.Slide 11: Nichesites

14. Badoo: Based in London, Badoo is one of the top social networking sites in Europe.Migente: A social networking site targeted at Latin America.Orkut: Originally created by Google to compete with MySpace and Facebook, it has mainly caught hold in Brazil.Studivz: A German version of Facebook with a strong audience in students.Slide 12: International sites

15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websiteshttp://www.glocals.com/http://www.justlanded.com/http://www.internations.org/http://www.expats.com/site/http://www.expatforum.com/http://www.expatexchange.com/http://www.expatsinsweden.com/index.shtmlhttp://www.xpats.com/homeSlide 13: Our differentiation

16. Business plan for a start-upcompanySponsorsMarket research Branding, marketing, communicationTechnicalplatfromFunctionalitySlide ??: Next steps

17. Questions?Zayera Khanzayera.khan@gmail.comThank you for your attention!