When it comes to going out, college students often find themselves indecisive or scrambling to find a destination. However, problems arise when people want to go in different directions, are unfamiliar with the area or have difficulty deciding on what place would be suitable for them.
Oliver Walsh, a junior studying electrical engineering, and Bryan Bellamy, an alumnus of the College of Charleston, have attempted to find the solution to this problem with ShareFish, an app that simplifies finding hotspots and prioritizes convenience. The two friends were conversing in a coffee shop one evening when they stumbled across the concept of the ShareFish App.
ShareFish highlights data that informs users of the current conditions regarding venues in the vicinity. After relevant information is presented to the user, they can create a “fishbowl” in which the user gathers friends to vote on places to go for the evening.
Once the decision is reached, ShareFish provides a means of transportation to the social event. Essentially, it helps determine which activity is optimal for a group and eliminates confusion.
“We both simultaneously said, ‘Boom. Let’s make it happen.’ That’s when we knew we had something great,” Walsh said. “When there’s potential, you just have to go and get it. These opportunities don’t arise every day.”
Walsh and Bellamy met in high school and are now business partners. Walsh said he had a small idea of this app, and when he brought it to Bellamy, Bellamy was “immediately astounded.” Walsh said Bellamy would work best as a co-founder of ShareFish because of his previous experience.
“I’ve executed start-ups before and have been involved in the tech industry for several years now, so I’ve worked in a variety of platforms,” Bellamy said. “It made sense to partner with someone with a good work ethic and who wants to develop an idea quickly without any external assistance.”
On Sept. 3, Walsh pitched ShareFish at Entrepalooza, a competition hosted by NC State’s Entrepreneurship Initiative on Centennial Campus. He won $1,000 for his company from the “Minute to Pitch It.” Afterward, Walsh and Bellamy, the co-founders and CEOs of ShareFish, began scanning for ambitious individuals to join their team.
“After three long weeks of interviews, follow-ups and callbacks, we constructed our team,” Walsh said. “We assembled four mobile designers, a content developer and a graphic designer.”
According to Walsh, ShareFish is a full-native iOS build, which means it’s going to be for iPhone users initially and will eventually branch out to Android users.
The beta version will launch at NC State first, according to Bellamy, who said ShareFish answers the question of who is going out and where in an enjoyable way.
“We have our own team; we’re in development, and we’ve secured funding for the production’s entirety,” Bellamy said. “We’re crafting the beta version and are progressing towards launching the final product in the spring. Once the product is launched, it will expand based off demand.”
With use, ShareFish will provide incentives for students. Walsh and Bellamy said they are excited to see what ShareFish ultimately becomes.
“We’ve been moving at full speed, but we want to keep it fun,” Walsh said. “ShareFish is a reward in itself; it saves time. Convenience is a huge priority for college students.”
