We live in a world that is amazingly connected. From the advent of internet and social media we have finally got the right means to constantly stay in touch with friends and family members no matter in what part of the globe they are. However, not everyone is on social media sites and most of our elderly family members have no clue on how to access the internet. What do you do then? How do you stay connected with such friends and family members?
To address this very issue, there is soon going to be a new app available on your app store called Tandem Lane. This app, in a very beautiful way lets you stay in touch with those you love.
Meet The Co-Founders!
This start-up was thought and conceptualized by Anila Sitaram Venkat and Chris Lund. The duo together wanted to address the issue of staying in touch with loved ones that are not accessible through social media or internet.
After graduating from college, Chris worked for Bain Capital’s debt hedge fund where he analyzed healthcare companies. When he moved to Chicago for his wife’s job, he decided to scratch the entrepreneurial itch he had had his whole life and joined Anila’s start-up, ElderBranch. This company was an information site that helped families find long-term care options for their elderly loved ones.
Originally from Canada, Anila previously worked for Goldman Sachs, Northleaf Capital Partners, and The Boston Consulting Group. She graduated from Harvard Business School and started ElderBranch a few years thereafter.
Know More About Tandem Lane!
Tandem Lane passionately believes that connections with family and friends are what drives happiness and makes life better for all of us. Thanks to the internet and social media, many of us are able to establish these connections quite easily. However, not everybody is on social media, and unfortunately, those people often get left behind.
By bridging the online with the offline, Tandem Lane brings social media to those not on social media. The app make it fun and easy to connect with family and friends the old-fashioned way. Through Tandem Lane, users can turn photos from their smartphones or social media accounts into beautiful postcards which the team prints and delivers.
What Problem is Tandem Lane Beautifully Solving?
“The problem we are solving is one of the most basic and fundamental human needs – the need to connect with others. While this has become easier for many of us due to email and social media, many others are getting left behind. Our solution is beautiful because it is so simple yet so meaningful. In just 45 seconds, you can turn a photo into a personalized postcard that will be sure to surprise and delight someone you love. You don’t have to worry about printing it, buying a stamp or finding a post office – that’s all taken care of by us”, adds the team.
The Inspiration Behind Tandem Lane!
When the team was working on ElderBranch, they had conducted countless interviews with geriatric experts to produce helpful content for their visitors. Time and again, the team heard that a major impediment to the physical and emotional health of seniors was the loss of contact with friends and family.
After reflecting on what they heard, and knowing that the same themes echoed in their own lives, they decided to start Tandem Lane. The team wanted to make it fun and easy for all generations to stay connected and remain a key part of each other’s lives.
On Challenges Faced & Competitors
Since the team is equipped with very basic programming skills, their biggest hurdle was to bring the idea to life. Also, finding someone who would give the idea the desired physical form was yet another challenge. Thankfully, the team ultimately found a fantastic design and development team based out of Los Angeles with whom they are working hand-in-hand to build Tandem Lane.
In terms of competitors, there are a few other postcard apps on the market today, however, the team does not think of themselves as a postcard company. Their mission is to connect generations and nurture relationships, and postcards are just a starting point to that end.
On Targeted Audience & Expansion Plans
Tandem Lane is mainly targeted towards any grandchild, child, parent, or grandparent who wants to let someone in their family know how special they are. More specifically, the app is looking to facilitate connection with those who are not avid users of text messaging, email and Facebook.
“We’d be remiss if we talked too much about the future, especially since our app will not launch until early January. While we believe there are many different services we can offer to help people connect with their loved ones, our near-term focus is on providing the best postcard service possible.
Our previous start-up experience has shown that often the best ideas will come from listening to our customers – and that’s exactly what we plan to do here. Tandem Lane will grow and expand based on the needs and wants of our customers”, this is what the team had to say on their expansion plans.
The team initially wants to focus on delivering postcards anywhere in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Over time, we will expand their services globally.
On Plans of Monetizing
The initial plan on monetizing will be focused on their postcard service. New users will receive their first postcard for free and thereafter, postcards will cost $1.99, including printing and postage. As they grow, they wish to expand their offering to include many other mechanisms to help families stay connected.
With Tandem Lane, you never have to fear losing touch with loved ones again. Get the app as soon as it is available on your app store to send memorable postcards to your near and dear ones.
To know more about when they are launching, do visit: tandemlane.com
