Improving the Odds

Swipe right. Match. Meet over coffee.

No, we aren't talking about Tinder. Introducing Shapr, a free app that helps people with synergistic professional goals and skill sets easily meet and collaborate.

Shapr is a completely free tool for building your professional network. Whether looking to grow your network in a new industry, seeking cofounders and investors for your startup idea or just hoping to grab a coffee with someone new, Shapr introduces professionals who are equally interested in expanding their networks. The company states that their goal is ultimately to encourage professionals to learn from each other and find ways to work together.

The app uses an algorithm to parse the profiles of users and provide you with possible matches based on professional experience, location, and, tagged interests. Each day, Shapr produces a personalized selection of 10-15 potential opportunities.

Users swipe right if they're interested, and they swipe left if they're not. Once the interest is mutual, you can message with your match and set up a time to meet. That conversation could take place over coffee, Skype, or whatever communication you prefer – but the point is to get people meeting face to face.

Optimized Networking, Optimized Living

In the modern age, we tend to spend a lot more time living in the "digital world" than living in the "real world." In a number of ways, this is great, as it makes communication and collaboration faster than ever—after all, it takes only a few seconds to send a text. However, the age of the Internet also has its problems. It's really easy to network and communicate, but difficulties arise when one considers whether or not they are actually networking with valuable individuals and whether a social media connection is worth much.

This is where Shapr comes in.

The company has shared hundreds of success stories, and they assert that they have already made 1.5 million matches this year. For example, an Atlanta-based user named Sarah found a skilled collaborator on Shapr in just three days after spending a staggering three years of unsuccessful searching. Jessica, a New-York-based journalist looking for mentoring and advice, found two more senior journalists to advise her, thanks to the app.

To be clear, there are plenty of existing ways to put yourself out there online and network – with LinkedIn being one of the most notable examples. So what makes this app different from AngelList or Meetup? To begin with, Shapr is meant to be more active. The app is full of relevant professionals who want to actually take a conversation offline.

In addition, the algorithm does the work for you – on Shapr there is no sourcing or endless browsing of profiles. You can check your daily batch of 10-15 connections in less than two minutes a day. The app focuses on quality matches, so that you spend time speaking to the right people and taking those conversations offline rather than just collecting business cards.

This “mindful networking” approach is an efficient way to hack networking and make it more meaningful, inspiring and fun. Technology has already drastically altered the way we search for jobs. Why shouldn't it impact the way we make meaningful, professional connections? Test it out for yourself – Shapr is free for iOS and Android.

Futurism curates the products that could help reshape our world. This post has been sponsored by the team behind Shapr. 


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