“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” – Augustine of Hippo
True to this quote, traveling is one of the most fulfilling experiences. It really makes no sense when you are holed up in just one part of the planet when there are so many places to go and so many places to see. However, the biggest nightmare for a true traveler is the thought of missing out on some unique and interesting experiences.
To put this every problem to rest, there is soon going to be an app called Sight hitting your app store. Sight finally gives you a platform to share your experiences from around the world. In a way this app is building a trusted travelers’ community wherein you can view photos of other travelers, follow their journey, get inspired and get back on the trail.
Meet The ‘Explorers’ of Sight!
This beautiful app is conceptualized and co-founded by Stephen Pancheri and Elom Gomez.
Elom, who is also the CTO of the start-up, is a native of Ghana and studied Computer Engineering at Purdue. Stephen, CEO of Sight, is originally from Connecticut and studied Graphic Design at Northeastern University, and also earned an MBA from Fordham University with a concentration in marketing and information systems. Both co-founders currently reside in Chicago.
Together they bring unique strengths and experiences to the table. Their idea is fresh and finally gives travelers the much needed chance to share their travel experience to the world and not just limit it to their families and friends.
What is Sight About?
Sight is an iOS application that enables users to share photos of their travels and explorations, both local and abroad. The team hopes to provide a platform that helps users to find unique and interesting experiences by viewing the photographs of other individuals who discovered activities that they enjoyed.
This app is an elegant and concise iOS application. It has only three major screens that allow users to view gorgeous photos from travelers around the world, post beautiful photos from their own travels and connect with other travelers to share experiences, tips and advice.
What Inspired it All?
Elom and Stephen, both being completely addicted to travel, wanted a way to see the vacation photos of other travelers from around the world, without being limited to close friends and office colleagues. They both thought, surely someone out there in this world is doing something amazing in a place that is equally amazing, why is it that they can’t tag along virtually? This very thought is what triggered the idea of starting up something that will allow other fellow travelers to do just that.
On Challenges Faced & Competitors
Users of mobile applications have grown accustomed to seamless, flawlessly beautiful experiences. Thus it is becoming increasingly difficult for the team to innovate while still keeping the design simple and easy to understand.
At the moment, the main competitors of Sight are Instagram and Twitter as both these social networking platforms are completely open to the world. Another competitor is Foursquare, which provides a data-rich experience that allows anyone to find literally any activity they desire.
On Expansion Plans & Target Audience
“We have a lengthy product road map configured around making the user experience as delightful as possible. This includes detailed search functionality, advanced filtering of activities and places, notifications and more” says Stephen.
Also, the target audience for Sight is vast and varied, but generally includes anyone who is interested in discovering new and fun experiences, both local and abroad.
On Plans of Monetizing
“Our hope is to build an application that inspires users to explore the world, through viewing the photos of other travelers. Thus, once a user has decided where they would like to travel, for instance, Fiji, the natural next question is, “Ok, how do I get there?” At this point in the experience, we will partner with leading travel sites to provide our users with a way to book flights, hotels and car rentals. Sight will earn a royalty as an affiliate”, says Stephen.
In addition, the team also hopes to incorporate “Featured Photo” functionality that allows them to promote a photo from one of their partner companies. For instance, if a user is searching for a new tropical destination for an upcoming vacation, Sight would promote a photo from a popular beach hotel or resort that they find exemplary.
