Hayden Williams and Paul Osetinsky weren’t fulfilled with their Wall Street jobs. Though their jobs in investment banking brought them financial success, they both just knew that something else was missing.
So the two of them, who originally met at Vanderbilt University, set out to find something better. The main problem they ran into though, was that the only people they had to network with were other people in the finance industry.
That’s where the idea for the Treatings app was born. Williams and Osetinsky both quit their Wall Street jobs in 2012 and set out to build a network for professionals interested in meeting and talking about their careers over coffee.
People who sign up for the site or Treatings app can list their professional interests and a selection of coffee shops where they’d be willing to meet. Then, others can connect with them and set up a time for a face-to-face conversation.
It’s sort of a mix between LinkedIn and traditional networking events. LinkedIn is great for connecting people with similar interests online. And networking events are great for getting a bunch of professionals into the same room. But for those looking for one-on-one meetings, which can offer more meaningful connections than LinkedIn or networking events, this new Treatings app looks like something to consider.
Williams explained to Business Insider:
“The time is perfect for an app like this. People are ready to go online to message strangers to meet offline. They’re more and more used to using technology to expand their social network, so it seemed like the time was right for the professional equivalent. “
Treatings doesn’t make any revenue yet. That’s because the founders are still focused on growing the network. But they plan to monetize the platform by forming partnerships with organizations interested in connecting their members with others for mutually beneficial meetings.
Treatings currently has about 6,000 members. And thanks to a recent funding round, the team plans to hire someone to improve the mobile app, which just launched on March 4.
Image: Treatings
Diane Helbig
Interested in knowing when it becomes an android and Windows app. Sounds fascinating.