A new take on solving the scheduling problem: Launch of iPolipo
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 11 Dec 2006, 1:19 PM - 3 Comments
Today is the launch of our new startup iPolipo. Here is a brief background:
The idea for this company was born when we noticed the frustration people faced in scheduling meetings with other people. While scheduling a group meeting was a nightmare, scheduling meeting with just ONE other person was no less painful.
People almost had given up on solving that problem. We started watching the space more carefully and jotted our ideas and solutions. Here are some of the problems we found looking for a solution:
You want to arrange a meeting with Bob. You send him a note suggesting a time next Wednesday.. Bob is busy and doesn’t get back to you until next Monday. Meanwhile, you are holding a time slot open for Bob. But you also have multiple meetings set and in the process of being confirmed. Panic.
2. Holding multiple time slots open for the same meeting:
You need to meet with Bob. Bob asks you to suggest time slots and he will pick one. You send three time slots and wait for his confirmation. Bob is busy and doesn’t get back to you. Now, you have to keep three time-slots open waiting for Bob to confirm.
3. Inability to book meetings 24/7
Many professional services firm (eg: Legal, Accounting and Financial Services) handle meeting schedules via a team of secretaries. Once these secretaries go home, their clients usually have to wait until next working day to schedule an appointment.
4. Privacy.
People are concerned about posting their calendar online. We needed to provide a solution that eliminated this concern.
5. Priorities?
There are a number of calendar sharing solutions that are robotic. If it needs to find to find a time slot, it will go and find it. This is not a solution. For example, if you want to meet Bob, you ask if he has 30 minutes on Monday. Bob will check and get back to you. Problem: he is not checking if he has 30 minutes on his calendar—he’s checking if he has 30 minutes for you on that day.
After close to 12 months of design and development, we are happy to announce the launch of iPolipo. We have a patent pending technology that will eliminate the frustration associated with scheduling a meeting. We strongly believe that people enjoy meeting other people but dread the process of scheduling them.
We welcome our beta customers from three different industries. At this time, we are looking for more beta customers who want to give us a try.
Here is the link:
iPolipo: Connecting Up!
- Learning from “side effects”
- Scheduling your portrait session online - Jessica Grieves on iPolipo
- iPolipo presenting at SIIA OnDemand - Nov 2007
- Michael Sampson’s take on iPolipo; Two other iPolipo udpates
Posted in the Announcement, Compelling Offers, Main Page category.
RSS
Anonymous on December 12th, 2006
Very great idea! It seems to be a very great product!
Working for a big IT company and so with several sales representatives I confirm you that this kind of meeting calendar management is definitely a need.
I have still some questions on the features and functionalities but if I can help you as a beta customer I will do it.