Michael Chasen Disrupts Events
Hey, look, it’s Michael Chasen. (If you're new to the scene, he co-launched Blackboard in ’97, took it public--then private--and grew it to 3,000 employees.) We swung by his SocialRadar HQs to hear about the 1-year-old company's new iPhone app, launched this week, that helps people find nearby friends and acquaintances through social networks. So pull up the app at a networking event and find out who’s there and how they’re connected to you. It can also give updates on that person’s activity, like a recent birthday or new job. The user can adjust privacy settings, as well. (For those times you don’t want your boss to know you’re at Shake Shack for the afternoon.)
The company, which has $12.75M in series A funding, is focusing on increasing users and eventually generating revenue through targeted advertising and direct commerce. Google Glass and Android versions are coming soon. SocialRadar has 20 employees, all based in DC. Michael says he got the idea for SocialRadar after seeing how much college students shared their whereabouts with friends. No one had ever cross referenced all the personal and professional info on social networks with location info. And then there’s the fact that there’s one billion active smartphones that serve as location beacons; two billion user profiles in the cloud; five million check-ins on foursquare per day; and six million location updates on Facebook.
Even though it’s been 16 years since launching his first company, Michael says many of the aches and pains of startup life are the same today, but he’s less anxious now about the trouble spots. He says building a company is about hiring the right talent, having a vision, and being able to execute. The only difference is that the 42-year-old is dressing more casually than the suit and tie he donned in the late '90s. And startup life means he had to put together the new desks in the startup’s office himself versus having an in-house furniture group build them. (That little complimentary Ikea wrench is now on his key chain.)
