Meet Dalton Meadows of Likeminds in Tempe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalton Meadows.

Dalton, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Likeminds started as a simple question: how do I become less lonely? From that, obvious choices emerged — join a club, talk to people in or out of college classes — but those are hard. They’re especially hard if, like me, you don’t drink or have much free time. I figured technology was the obvious solution, but to my surprise, no available option was designed to make you real-life friends. So I started my own company, Likeminds!

We started in October of 2019, and soon after, I met my co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Aditya. In a few short months, we have taken Likeminds from an idea to a beta-testing product, and we’re working with local businesses now to realize our vision of a hybrid offline and online social platform.

Recent circumstances of course have forced us to slow down and encourage everyone to stay safe and healthy. However, we believe that people will need person-to-person contact more than ever after being locked inside for so long, and Likeminds is ready to provide that as soon as we launch!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has been far from smooth. As two college students, it’s been tough to convince some people that our vision can really come to pass. Originally, the company consisted of just myself (Dalton), and it took a lot of work to find someone else who believed in Likeminds enough to make it a functional app. Luckily, Aditya has been a fantastic partner and co-founder since the day I brought him on.

Now that we have a product, we are beginning to test in the market. Our struggle is finding funding. Most people see “social app” and think, “well, you just can’t compete with Facebook and Instagram.” But in reality, that misconception couldn’t be further from the truth. Social apps today simply don’t provide people with what they promise: friendship. They provide a facade, not real, meaningful connection, and today, that is exactly what Likeminds is setting out to do. Unfortunately, changing peoples’ perceptions and launching a social app are both expensive, so Likeminds is currently attracting investors to help us achieve our potential!

Likeminds – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We’re a social app, but not a social media app. Likeminds partners with local businesses to bring you a completely unique, hyper-local social experience. Whether you’re in Tempe, Phoenix, or Glendale, Likeminds adapts and provides you with fun activities to do wherever you are.

These fun activities are based on challenges. These are daily, weekly, and seasonal obstacles for you and others to overcome — things like “bike 40 miles this week” or “win a game of Gin Rummy today.” Challenges are grouped by your areas of interest, which are any sort of recreational, group activity you can think of, hiking, dining, tabletop gaming — if you’re interested in it, chances are, Likeminds has challenges for you! The only things we do not challenge you to do are activities that promote unhealthy habits, such as a sedentary lifestyle or drug/alcohol use.

Doing these challenges earns you experience, and “levels up” your areas of interest. Leveling up grants you both real-world monetary discounts and in-app cosmetics, which you can display on your avatar to show others your interests at a glance! Complete challenges together to level up much faster and make new friends; after all, making new friends is easiest when you share a common interest.

Likeminds is proud to be not only a way for people to connect while doing what they love but also a part of the local economy. By partnering with local businesses all over, we help make people aware of the awesome businesses and friends waiting for them to discover right outside their front door! Other apps may promise to make you more friends, but only Likeminds provides the motivation and the connections to make you real, lasting friendship. That way, Likeminds is not just a fun way to explore your interests, but a force of good in fighting the epidemic of loneliness.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is leaving the world a better place than you entered it. Simple as that. Every day, I try to make a positive impact on the lives around me, and if I feel that I’ve done just that, I feel successful.

Pricing:

• Free to download for all users
• 3-month “season pass” — $0.99 per area of interest (access to additional monetary and cosmetic rewards)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.getlikemindsapp.com/
• Phone: 480-794-9024
• Email: dalton@getlikemindsapp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getlikemindsapp/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/getlikemindsapp

Image Credit:
Taken by me, Dalton Meadows

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