itimdi is an interests based social network that lets you both create new social connections based on your interests & keep your “old” general previous ones.
We had a constructive and intriguing interview with the very young 15 years old entrepreneur Mr. “Tal Hoffman“; Founder of the Israel (Haifa)-based start-up “http://www.Itimdi.com” regarding his Company.
Below is the full interview that we have conducted with Mr. Hoffman regarding his start-up “Itimdi.com”;
1. What is it exactly that you do and what “Itimdi” is all about?
Itimdi is an interests based social network that lets you both create new social connections based on your interests & keep your “old” general previous ones. itimdi is all about delivering the features & gaps other social networks today are missing, in the best efficient way. itimdi listens to its users!
2. When has “Itimdi” been founded? And what stage is “Itimdi” currently at?
Itimdi has been founded a few months ago, after a couple of times Facebook really bored me. I looked for the gaps Facebook and its other competitors don’t cover, and things that users would like those companies much to improve.
I came up with a few conclusions and started to develop it on my PC, to see where it goes. It went well, and itimdi is currently in an advanced development stage, hopefully the private beta will be launched in a couple of months.
3. What is “Itimdi” business model and how does it work?
Well, itimdi’s business model is based on simple text ads. Companies & Brands will be given the option to advertise some small text + logo ads, at the side of the site. No personal data will be given to them in order to customize those ads.
At this point, though, it’s too early to discuss about incomes, all I want to talk about is delivering the best service for itimdi’s users.
4. How did your team meet? And who in your team does what?
Currently, I’m the only founder. Although, I’m looking for a local tech co-founder, so the beta will be launched as soon as possible.
5. What, exactly, makes you different from existing options, what will make your product and/or service stand out in the marketplace? In other words what’s unique about you and what’s new about what you make?
Although the main social networks today provide their users ways to preserve their general connections, they don’t offer any efficient ways to get to know new ones. itimdi lets you:
a. Meet & interact with new friends based on your interests
b. Preserve your old connections
c. Share your favorite web content
d. Keep your privacy
6. What is your growth like? And what milestones has “Itimdi” achieved so far?
The startup is quite new and hasn’t been promoted properly just yet, so no big milestones has been achieved so far. Even so, itimdi’s was featured on BetaLi.st and in a few more similar sites, that has helped us get some nice amount of sign-ups. There is some very nice interest surrounding the site.
7. Who are your competitors? And what is “Itimdi”’s competitive advantage over them?
As known to most of you, itimdi’s biggest competitors are Facebook and Google Plus. Both sites are missing some very important features itimdi does have. Although our competitors do a quite great job preserving existing connections, it doesn’t do the same about meeting and creating new ones. In addition, some of our competitors have some very serious privacy policy issues.
8. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
Our competitors are big, very big. Getting beyond them will be hard, some even say impossible. And yet – I think entirely different. I think users are dying to get something new, to be involved with a site that truly listens to them and what they have to say. There’s a long way ahead and getting to the end of it is a tough task, but it is possible.
9. What are the key things about your field that outsiders don’t understand?
As said above, people are overestimate Facebook and underestimate others. VC’s tend to go to the safe zones, unlike their job “target” which by definition delivered to “high risk, growth startup companies”. I’m here to try and prove them that they are wrong, and that the onlinne social networking world is far far away from being 100% used.
10. Why are you going to succeed?
Itimdi provides some “crucial” features that are lacking at the online social networking world, and that users ask for and need. So, hopefully, we’ll be going the right way and prove people this is possible.
11. If “Itimdi” succeeds, what additional areas might you be able to expand into?
Of course it’s too early to discuss about but obviously Social Media world is an area to be expand to.
12. Why did you choose this idea and concept to build “Itimdi” based on?
I deeply think that the social networking world is far from being used, at least correctly. The fact Facebook really bored me a bunch of times just excelerated this, so I decided to try and see what can I do better.
13. What have you learned so far from launching your idea?
I’ve learned that launching a startup is a hard work, not the general association that came up to my mind of total freedom and money coming floating by. I’ve learned to appreciate that hard work (and yet the biggest steps are in-front of me) and learned that nothing comes easily as you probably wish for. And yet, I find it real fun.
14. Six months from now, what’s going to be your biggest problem?
Six month from now, my biggest problem will be trying to both expanding itimdi’s users virally and keep its true value, unlike big noisy launches that only damage the startup’s image.
15. What’s the benefit for the user?
Itimdi covers on others lack and let its users the following:
a. Meet & interact with new friends based on your interests
b. Preserve your old connections
c. Share your favorite web content
d. Keep your privacy
That way, users can manage their social life at the best way
16. How did customers and/or users find out about you?
First of all, they don’t hear about me, they hear about the idea, the conecpt. Many ways they’ll be able to do so, like read about it on tech blogs, that will hopefully cover it.
17. Who are your current users? Who are your target users?
The target users are everyone, starting from the age of 13 years old up to the age of 120. Especially, people who are interested in meeting new friends who share mutual interests.
18. Where do new users come from and what makes new users try you?
No specific spot people come from. The promising conecpt the upgrade their social services on the webb will, hopefully, make them try itimdi.
19. What do your users say about your product and/or service?
Currently the product is still on development and therefore the main feedback stream hasn’t come yet. The feedback that already came is quite positive and showing interests in the site.
20. How are you going to scale?
The more users will be sigining-up and the more good predictions will be, the faster will be scaling up. Starting from upgrading the servers and ending at official offices.
21. What’s the biggest missing feature? The one thing customers keep asking for?
None yet, product is still in development.
22. Are you going to internationalize? And if yes how are you planning to expand your start-up’s operations accordingly?
Yes, the startup is targeted to the international market right from the beginning. The way we’ll do it is by targeting to the international market in the first place. Because it’s an internet startup with non-physical product we rely on that fits to every population worldwide, it’s much easier to target it to an international community.
23. How big do you think you can get? Why? And how you are planning to achieve your goals?
With the right clean marketing, I think itimdi can get pretty big, ofcourse that takes time. I think itimdi has a really big potentional to be a good reliable company, because of the gaps it covers very-well at the online social networking exists today.
24. Are you looking to hire a new workforce? And if yes, what job vacancies do you currently offer and where can potential applicants contact you at?
I’m not looking to hire any other workforce this time, especially because there isn’t enough money at this point to do that. I am looking for a local technical co-founder.
25. Are you looking for partnership opportunities or funding from Venture Capitals (VC) or other funding sources? Or your business is self-sustainable? And if the first option applies where can potential partners / investors contact you at?
I’m looking for both partnership opportunities & funding. Anyone can contact me at contact@itimdi.com or at my personal email address talhof8 AT gmail DOT com.
26. What advice do you have for fresh entrepreneurs?
As a fresh entrepreneur myself, I haven’t got a lot of tips, though my biggest one is: Don’t be afraid to be advised by people more experienced than you. You may find it very useful!
27. Finally, do you have any other comments that you would like to add?
The site is still in development, though, you can pre-signup & help us grow at http://www.itimdi.com for the private beta soon to be launched. For ANY questions, feel free to contact me at contact@itimdi.com. Thanks in advance!