ReadWriteStart

Sponty: Revolutionizing the Meetup and Tweetup

Written by Dana Oshiro / November 12, 2009 6:18 PM / 8 Comments

This post is part of our ReadWriteStart channel, which is a resource and guide for first-time entrepreneurs and startups. The channel is sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark. To sign up for BizSpark, click here.

sponty_nov09.jpgThough I'm chronically checking in on services like Brightkite, Loopt and Foursquare, it's rare that I'll actually make an appearance at the behest of a friend's status update. For the slovenly masses that work from home, venturing out to meet friends on a weeknight can seem daunting. But rather than submit to the unkempt perils of pantless utopia, there's hope. Sponty offers us a chance to plan and prep for casual outings.

Instead of asking users to give their immediate locations, Sponty allows us to add events to a schedule. Users can add their information via the company's web interface or its newly released iPhone app. If you know you're going to be at a conference, happy hour or concert you can add the event, location and time to your Sponty calendar. From here it's easy to plan meet ups and tweet ups. Once you fill in your info, your friends are notified via the Sponty community, Twitter, Facebook, email or through an embeddable blog widget. Friends then click the "I'm down" button to express their interest in joining you. Users can cancel or bail out on events at anytime.

sponty_screenshot_nov09.jpg

While you may share calendars with your closest pals, a wider circle of friends would quickly make that overwhelming to track. Sponty is a great social calendar substitute and offers users a chance to plan impromptu events without the constraints of multiple registrations. What's interesting about this service is the fact that instead of offering us real-time event updates, it's more usefully giving us a look at real-time intentions. To register and test the service visit thesponty.com.

Microsoft BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. Click here to apply.


Comments

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  1. "unkempt perils of pantless utopia" tell me about it! Save me, Sponty!

     Posted by: Marshall Kirkpatrick Author Profile Page | November 12, 2009 6:47 PM



  2. Too bad Sponty is US timezones only. Here in Auckland, I'm sure the very social Twitter community would find this useful. Hopefully Sponty broaden their horizons soon.

    Posted by: segdeha.com Author Profile Page | November 12, 2009 6:52 PM



  3. You laugh now Marshall, but there's a reason our avatars don't include full length photos.

     Posted by: Dana Oshiro Author Profile Page | November 12, 2009 6:52 PM



  4. Congrats on the launch guys!

    Cheers,
    Ashish

    Posted by: Ashish | November 12, 2009 9:01 PM



  5. Seeking rich single? )Sug arloves-c 0m is direct and professional enough!

    Posted by: pinkhooker | November 12, 2009 9:47 PM



  6. fyi sponty's link is messed up above... im sure they need the backlinks

    Posted by: dunce | November 13, 2009 11:18 AM



  7. wishing you a good luck guys

    Posted by: Nessan | November 14, 2009 5:31 AM



  8. "Unkempt perils of pantless utopia"--this sounds like . . .

    Posted by: David Liao | November 14, 2009 7:47 AM



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