Blitz: Networking Reinvented

Breaking Barriers with Tinder-Inspired Networking App

At Facebook's F8 in May, Developer Circles launched the 2018 Community Challenge, an online hackathon aiming to create solutions that help build community and bring the world closer together. Over 5,000 developers and creatives from around the globe participated, utilizing Facebook technologies to create innovative solutions.

Our team's app "Blitz" was inspired by our own struggles with finding the right people for new project ideas or ventures. We set out to create a fun and time-efficient solution that makes professional networking easier and more exciting.

Using React Native, our goal was to utilize proven interaction concepts like "swipe to like" while minimizing the potential for bias and discrimination. At the core of the app, users can generate and broadcast short messages describing their project ideas and what they're looking for. These messages, which are only active for 24 hours, are then visible to other users in the area, allowing them to privately reply. Once the initial broadcaster accepts a reply, both users will be connected via an integrated chat.

We were thrilled and honored to win the first regional prize and second global prize in the hackathon, which affirmed the potential and value of inclusive networking platforms for creators worldwide.