Professional liaisons: ‘Tinder for healthcare’ shakes up conferences
Delegates at the JP Morgan Annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco next week can download an iPhone and android app that lets them view other attendees’ profiles and swipe left and right – just like Tinder – to select or reject a match.
If both parties ‘like’ each other, they are put in touch and can chat through the app or meet up. Unlike Tinder, the platform is meant to smooth the way to making professional, not personal, connections, Safa Sadeghpour, inventor of the app and President of networking company PostHealthcare, told us.
A ‘match’ at the conference could lead to job talks, investment deals and opportunities for partnerships and consulting, said Sadeghpour.
He said the application could cut down on “hours of wasted time” spent networking with the wrong people at conferences – “conversations where you’re being polite but trying to escape.”
“We realised a lot of people go to the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference every year but it’s really hard to find the high value contacts. There are people you really want to meet but don’t know yet.”
Unrequited?
Unless both parties ‘like’ each other, the app doesn't reveal when a user has shown interest. “It’s completely anonymous so no one finds out. Reputation and credibility is completely protected,” said Sadeghpour.
He added while the JP Morgan event attracts high-level healthcare investors and executives, the app can prevent unwanted networking approaches. “If one person wants to meet someone beyond their punching weight there’s nothing lost – no one finds out, it’s just the match never happens.”
To create the platform, PostHealthcare worked with Weave, a mobile app described as “Tinder for professionals” which lets users log in with their LinkedIn accounts.
“We created a space within the app for high level healthcare professionals, to provide a free service,” said PostHealthcare’s president.
The app is not affiliated with the JPM conference.
