Location-Based Networking via Second-Degree Connection Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connecting people within the same geographical area without established connections and trust is challenging, requiring significant effort in cold outreach and group engagement.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a mobile application to scan for second-degree connections within a predetermined radius, enabling users to connect with others who share a common contact, even if they do not know each other, through GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth data, and provides notifications for introductions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cold outreach and group engagement methods are used to connect people without established connections, then networking opportunities can be pursued, but significant effort and time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing trust relationships through second-degree connections before the actual networking interaction occurs. Users' contact lists are analyzed in advance to identify mutual connections, and this trust information is stored and ready for immediate use when users are geographically proximate, eliminating the need for time-consuming cold outreach.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces second-degree connections as intermediaries who bridge strangers. When two users without direct connections are geographically close, the system identifies their mutual contacts and uses these intermediaries to facilitate introduction and establish trust, thereby reducing the effort and time required for direct cold outreach between strangers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional networking methods without established connections are used, then new contacts can be pursued, but trust and connection establishment becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
Second-degree connections serve as trusted intermediaries who vouch for both parties. The system leverages these mutual contacts to establish reliability and trust between strangers, allowing users to confidently engage with new contacts knowing they share a mutual connection, thereby resolving the trust challenge in traditional networking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback about shared connections and trust relationships to users during the networking process. By displaying information about mutual contacts and connection strength, the system enables users to assess reliability before engaging, making trust establishment transparent and actionable.
3Productivity
If comprehensive contact scanning is performed to find second-degree connections, then more networking opportunities are identified, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs contact list analysis and second-degree connection identification as preliminary actions when users are geographically proximate. Contact information is pre-processed and stored in an optimized format, allowing rapid matching without real-time complex computations, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining comprehensive scanning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial scanning by focusing only on contacts relevant to the current geographic context and user preferences. Rather than exhaustively analyzing every contact in the database, the system performs targeted scanning within a predetermined radius and filters results based on relevance, reducing processing complexity while identifying sufficient networking opportunities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for location and degree of separation based networking is presented. A geographic location of a first user device is accessed. One or more contacts on the first user device are accessed. A predetermined radius around the geographic location for one or more second user devices is scanned. It is determined that the one or more second user devices within the predetermined radius include a contact that is on the user device. The system displays, on a GUI, a representation of the geographic location and the one or more second user devices. The system receives a touch gesture indicating a selection of a selected user device. Information is displayed relating to the selected user device. The system transmits to the selected user device a notification indicating an introduction of the user and causes the selected user device to display the introduction.