Do you ever feel like you’re always talking about plans to go here or hang out with so-and-so, but you’re never actually doing most of those things?
Well that’s why Ketchup, a new app available on the App Store, has launched into existence. The app lets you keep track of all the activities you said you’d do with someone, or even ping a friend on the fly to go to a movie sometime, grab drinks, or whatever.
The idea is to always have a running list of all your potential hang-out opportunities with friends, whatever that might be. That way, when you’re bored, you can scroll through the list and start texting people.
Many social planning apps have tried and failed to bring people together, but flakiness seems to stand in the way of most. That’s why founder Matt Capucilli decided to leave timing out of the app completely. Instead, he wants Ketchup to be a place where two friends can make a contract with each other: “We’re going to do X.”
Since the app uses Facebook to connect, chances are you have some way of getting in touch with friends you’ve chosen to hang out. That way, Ketchup doesn’t get mixed in with all the intricacies of planning, but still helps you figure out what you’re going to do with friends.
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But how does Ketchup ensure that your social contract with your friends will hold up when it comes time to pick a time and day?
In short, it doesn’t. To Capucilli, there will always be instances where people make promises to hang out and don’t follow through, “but that way you know who wants to hang out with you.” It sounds over-simplified, but this type of information is actually pretty useful. After a couple of weeks on Ketchup, seeing which activities come to fruition and which remain a promise, you’ll be able to target friends better the next time you want to go out and do something.
Plus, the app has a “flake out” button. This lets users cancel on their other friends, plus it lets you remove “a contract” from your list if the other party never seems to have time to go hang out.
Though monetization isn’t a huge focus right now, Capucilli sees a huge opportunity to leverage this type of data with marketers and advertisers. “Once the app picks up, we’ll be able to know where you want to go before you’ve gone there,” said Capucilli, who believes this data will eventually be highly valuable.
For now, it’s all about user acquisition. So if you’re interested in playing Ketchup, head on over to the App Store.