Forget the worm and start handing your kids financial wealth. EarlyBird is a new startup that has an app for parents to make investments on behalf of their child. Parents can create a UGMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act) account that lets them invest in bonds, stocks, securities, or mutual funds that their child gains access to at the age of 18. Parents can invite other family members or close friends to join and contribute to the fund as well.
Sounds like a GoFundMe for kids to walk into adulthood not needing to work for much of anything…
Kidding.
EarlyBird is the same concept as Honeyfund which is made for newlyweds. EarlyBird has alternatives to investing on their app, like giving children toys or “stuff” when friends and family donate money. EarlyBird doesn’t ask for straight-up cash donations, though, it just makes it easier and more understandable for a parent to make custodial accounts. What makes EarlyBird unique is their combination of this feature plus a social platform which makes it feel like a gifting experience.
“Givers” can even record short video “memories” with their investment so the experience feels personal and if another friend or family member sees this, it might prompt them to donate as well.
Would you set up something like this for your child on an app versus the traditional route? Hit reply and tell us!
Coronavirus Could Be Gone With This Software
Not surprisingly, state health officials in the US aren’t equipped to distribute the coronavirus vaccines in a way that keeps track of who’s received them, how to get those next in line prepared for them, and a smooth transition for rollout. The government can be a lil’ slow to hop on the tech bandwagon, but this isn’t a time to be stubborn about logistical challenges for distribution.
Currently, there is no plan for using software that will coordinate the mass distribution of the vaccine. Airkit, however, is a platform that lets companies create hyper-personalized, engagement experiences online with hardly any code. They want to help build a platform for local and state governments to enroll citizens by the millions. So far, California officials are looking into Airkit along with other state’s healthcare providers and pharmacies.
Airkit’s CEO Stephen Ehikian said, “It’s actually kind of insane how ill-prepared they are for this.”
Airkit would provide a variety of solutions to this distribution process. The platform could help pharmacies give citizens a digital service to use before and after the vaccine, letting them enroll and schedule their vaccines just with a simple text or email.
Apparently, the vaccination process would be ten times faster (says Ehikian) if everyone used this technology.
Oh, not to mention Airkit is HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant. If government officials don’t hop on board with this, they’re probably going to stick to robocalling even though not even the 65 and up club pick up their phones for 800 numbers anymore…
Do you foresee governments picking up Airkit or another platform to make the vaccination process simple, organized, streamlined and effective? Hit reply and tell us your opinion!
Make Your Company as Popular as Twitch
The cofounder of Twitch Justin Kan sure knows a thing or two about creating a fall-in-love worthy company. Twitch started out just like every other tech startup — scrappy and with not much differentiating it from their competitors. But the one thing they did have over other companies similar to them was the tight relationship they fostered with each and every user.
Kan would call up users on the phone, something practically unheard of in his realm, to build relationships and get a real, honest opinion out of them. All good business owners know they should always be looking for customer feedback!
Most credit this customer loyalty and true connection as the reason why Twitch nailed their sale to Amazon for $970 million in 2014.
Kan says that if you want to build the same loyalty, just do as he did. Call up your customers, and work the few that you know really well because that’s something you can’t do when your user base is in the millions. Real, human conversations, as simple as it sounds, is what still works to this day.
This will let you know what your customers want, too. Want to stand out from competitors? Give your customers the exact things they’re asking for. Twitch is now the “biggest and most passionate community of gamers”, so if you want the same for your company, try adding these tips to your strategy.
