Whenever Nikos Diakogiannis first ventured in to the global realm of dating applications, he unearthed that these were all too comparable. That’s why he’s attempting to change the game entirely — one meme at any given time.

Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Match — the menu of choices continues on. But Diakogiannis has generated a software that brings a breathing of oxygen to dating that is virtual.

It’s called Picme.

“Picme is kind of such as for instance a hybrid between Tinder and Snapchat,” Diakogiannis told The Pappas Post. “You swipe on users and you message them just with image communications. in the event that you get yourself a match,”

Just exactly exactly How it all started

Years after finding a bachelor’s degree in computer technology through the University of Connecticut, Diakogiannis came back to the institution to begin with graduate studies into the medical industry.

Just like numerous graduate pupils, the Bristol native invested most of their amount of time in the publications, restricting opportunities for in-person conversation.

“I utilized dating apps a whole lot because i did son’t have time that is much satisfy individuals. But we discovered that many dating apps had been comparable,” Diakogiannis stated. “You simply match with someone and text backwards and forwards until such time you meet them.”

The ingredient that is missing? Engagement.

“ we was thinking the card swiping game ended up being enjoyable, nevertheless the thing we hated about conventional relationship apps had been the conversation after matching with another user,” he said. “The whole notion of texting a complete complete stranger some pickup that is random seemed embarrassing and inadequate in my experience.”

Diakogiannis’ application Picme permits users to swipe, match and trade “memes,” which make reference to pictures which are usually funny in general and can include descriptive text. (picture thanks to Picme)

Bringing more interaction to dating apps

Diakogiannis’ very very very first effort came through Spark, a video clip speed-dating application which permitted users to have interaction through FaceTime-style movie chats. The application included search filters such as for instance distance, sex and age.

But location became a presssing problem, as users with big distances between them faced the task of coordinating movie calls while being in numerous time areas. This prompted Diakogiannis to simply just take another approach.

“It had been not so practical to have individuals in equivalent location that is geographic at the same time to create movie telephone calls,” he said. “The pool of possible users had been too little.”

Diakogiannis’ latest application, Picme, arrived in reaction to that particular issue.

“The brand brand brand new application hits a stability between being interactive without forcing visitors to be online at exactly the same time,” he said. With text and hit send.“After you match on Picme, you can easily simply take snapshots, label them”

Picme takes motivation from Snapchat insofar as the photo-based structure while its “card swiping feature that is the Tinder model. Diakogiannis stated these records had been in keeping with their objective to create an interactive software without entirely reinventing the wheel.

“Picme had been a hybrid of my concept for Spark,” he said. “You reach see individuals and connect to them on a far more personal level without changing the dating model that’s already worked.”

The movie below programs the way the application works in real-time.

The long, grueling procedure

Diakogiannis had some type of computer technology level, but this didn’t suggest he knew just how to build a software.

The UConn alumnus read a textbook that is 1,000-page computers. He sat discovered the particulars of development for iOS, Apple’s mobile operating-system which powers lots of the company’s devices, such as the iPhone and ipod itouch. He discovered programming that is new, formal languages that are utilized to make usage of algorithms and supply directions for computer systems.

These tasks among others amounted to a commitment that is full-time of 11 hours a day, and sometimes more, to accomplish Picme.

Diakogiannis then encountered the review that is app’s for Facebook. This implied producing his or her own LLC and publishing company papers in order to become a business that is facebook-verified. Then a contract was signed by him guaranteeing to not misuse individual information.

Apple arrived next.

“Apple features a big group of guidelines you must adhere by when publishing towards the application store. I did son’t have a ‘Sign in with Apple’ key the first-time We submitted the software and so they rejected me personally,” Diakogiannis stated. “I’d to fully replace the login system to get it to utilize both Twitter and Apple.”

Picme received four rejections before qualifying when it comes to App shop, where it is currently designed for download. The software even offers a web page.

“It had been exceptionally hard, but i obtained it finished with assistance from my amazing relatives and buddies,” Diakogiannis stated. “I don’t know very well what I would personally do without them.”

Nikos Diakogiannis edits rule while taking care of their software. He’s a degree that is bachelor’s computer technology through the University of Connecticut.

Motivated by household

“The minute I made the decision to pursue entrepreneurship ended up being an extremely hard time for me personally,” Diakogiannis stated. “My pappou to my mother’s side, whom aided raise me personally, ended up being bedridden with dementia. We felt hopeless and very sad and hurt.”

But seeing their grandfather during their final times inspired the entrepreneur that is young whom stated he began convinced that “life had been too quick” not to ever just take a danger by developing an application.

“i needed to move when it comes to fences and hit a home hopefully run,” Diakogiannis said. “i needed in order to make my grandfather happy with me personally, so he could look down at me personally and smile, saying ‘I’m proud I took my loved ones to America, the nation of possibility.’”

Diakogiannis pictured together with his grandfather, Konstantinos Kousournas, during the Diagoras Airport on his island that is ancestral of, Greece. Kousournas passed away in might 2017 during the chronilogical age of 82. (picture due to Nikos Diakogiannis)

Diakogiannis, who was simply their late grandfather’s first grandchild, stated the two shared a “special bond” that shaped him as a person.

“Pappou took me every-where out of the house and spend some quality time together with him just to get me. He had been the guy who first took our house to America from Rhodes, Greece in 1969,” he stated. “He had been constantly proud to be A us and he liked this nation.”

Diakogiannis stated any particular one time he hopes to offer their software and spend his parents off’ business.

“My parents are spending so much time for pretty much three decades within the dry cleansing and tailoring business,” he said. “They instilled that same effort ethic in me personally. I wish to have the ability to let them have some slack most likely these years which help them retire.”

Diakogiannis (far left) pictured together with his household during their bro Kostas’ graduation from Central Connecticut State University in might 2019. (picture due to Nikos Diakogiannis)

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