UWT graduate and friends create purchase-tracking app
Slync app, released in November, was “designed with the intention to let people discover and see what people are buying around them.”
A recent UW Tacoma graduate, along with his friends, have created an app called Slync, which allows users to share details about their purchases and unique aspects of businesses. The app “was designed with the intention to let people discover and see what people are buying around them,” said creative marketing member Surge Stefoglo, who completed his studies at UWT last quarter.
Developer Michael Babiy and creative marketing members Stefoglo and Peter Babiy brainstormed about developing something with the question in mind, “What can we create to make people’s lives better and easier?” The idea behind Slync came about. One year after it was conceptualized, the team began work on it, and a year after that it was ready to be released.
Stefoglo said that the release of the app is “an accomplishment in itself,” explaining that they “aren’t getting paid for it at the moment so it was all completely us juggling school and work plus this.”
What makes Slync different from other apps where users can follow people’s purchases? According to Stefoglo, it’s the seamless interface that separates it from the rest. With other products, he said users can achieve the same thing but “you have to use at least three or four different apps. You can open Instagram and see someone bought coffee but unless they put a price and location, you’d have to open another app to search an address, or open Yelp. Either way, it’s a process.” With Slync, users must include a price, location, and picture of the item being shared.
Another benefit is the simplicity of it. As Stefoglo said, “You can get anywhere in the app in two clicks. We really tried to make it as simple as possible.”
He also said that while some apps like Yelp focus on the place itself, Slync focuses on the item, or something within a business that makes it unique.
Users will also have the added feeling of local support.“I want people to know that this was created by people who love Washington. We live and breathe Seattle and Tacoma. I definitely want them to know I went to UWT and we are advocates of all things local,” said Stefoglo.
Currently released only in Washington and for iPhones, the app is free and will eventually be released on a wider scale. “Right now, it’s like Washington’s baby. I would ask people to be creative with it, enjoy it.”
The creators are not able to share the numbers of how many people have downloaded the app since its November 26th release because investors are currently interested in the product, but they did say that the amount is growing. “I’m just really proud of us as a team,” Stefoglo said of the work he and his colleagues have done. The app’s website is www.slync.me.
