The document describes a proposed mobile app called Metro Meet that aims to facilitate social interactions and connections between commuters on public transportation. It notes that people spend over an hour and a half on average each day commuting in France, representing significant downtime. The app would allow users to see who else is nearby on their route, what they are doing (listening to, reading, etc.), and interact with them. It outlines the app's features and functionality, provides usage scenarios, and discusses plans for development, rollout, monetization, and the founding team behind the concept.
3. The opportunity
French people spend an average of 1 hour and
30 minutes per day in public transportations
Commute to and from work represents the
most important downtime in peoples’ day
“Metro, boulot, dodo…” symbolizes the cultural
meaning of commuting
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4. The opportunity
Mobile has fundamentally changed our
commutes
Music on the go
Productivity
Social media
Mobile commerce
Virtual supermarkets on train platforms
Etc…
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5. The opportunity
Our daily commute says much about who
we are
Where I live
Where I go to work
What are my work hours
What are my favorite spots in the city
And so does what we do during out
commute
What music do I listen to
What am I reading
What apps am I using
Etc…
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6. The opportunity
The subway is a social microcosm
“I see this guy everyday… I wonder where he
works”
“What book is this girl reading? I wonder if it’s
good”
“I’d sure like to get a chance to talk to that cute
guy I bump into every morning…”
“Sweet shoes! Wonder where she got them…”
“I don’t know what music to listen to. I bet
somebody in this wagon must have better taste
than me”
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7. The opportunity
What if we allowed people to more easily meet and
exchange in the metro?
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8. Our product: metro meet
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9. Our product: metro meet
What is metro meet?
Metro meet is a social mobile application that aims at
1. Putting people in touch with one another based
on their daily commute to and from work and
based on what they do during this commute
2. Encouraging interactions between commuters
inside the metro
Metro meet turns a downtime into a chance for
meaningful, real life interactions.
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10. Our product: metro meet
Why is metro meet different from other social apps?
Mainstream social apps such as Facebook, Twitter or Path are good to interact with an
established network of friends but are not designed to interact with and meet new people.
Metro meet is fully built around the specificities of the metro as a social environment
Limited time on site
Closed space
Interaction with people who are neither friends nor total strangers
Traditional environment for mild voyeurism and social interactions
Metro meet offers an experience that is much more compelling than other social apps
Meet somebody NOW
Meet somebody HERE, the person is in the same train, maybe sitting next to you
Play and share with the people that are AROUND YOU
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11. Our product: metro meet
Metro meet: the dating app for people who don’t use dating apps
Traditional dating apps/sites
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-
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Mostly 30+ YO members
Social stigma, dating sites are for losers
who can’t find people in real life
High barriers: need to create a profile, take
time to consult the site every day etc…
Requires high investment in terms of time
and attention
Overly complicated matching process
(bogus algorithms based on unreliable user
data)
High barriers from online interaction to real
life meeting
Unreliable user profiles
People you can’t actually see
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Metro meet
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Skewed towards under 30 YO members
No social stigma, Metro Meet doesn’t promote
itself as a dating app
No barriers: your profile is your commute and
what you do on the subway. Metro app is
seamlessly integrated into an otherwise dull daily
activity
Recommendations are super relevant and
matching process is straightforward: people who
share the same commute than you
Real life meeting is natural since you are inside
the same train
User profiles based on activity, 100% reliable
People you can see, often everyday
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12. Our product: metro meet
Key features
Basic user profiles
Activity stream
Name
Sex
Photo
Age
Daily commute (from… to…)
My stations
What I’m thinking now
What I’m listening to now (integration with music library
and online music apps)
What I’m reading now (integration with Amazon)
What games I’m playing now
Articles/photos shared
Finding people
Interacting with people
People around me
People I bump into most often
People that share the same commute as me
People who comment on articles/photos I share
People who listen to the same music
People who play the same games
People who read the same books
Like/comment on activity
Ping people around you (limits on number of pings can
that be sent per day to avoid spammers) and chat with
them
Friends list to keep the conversation going beyond the
metro station
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13. Our product: metro meet
Examples of usage scenarios
Everyday Benoit commutes from Rennes to Madeleine. He always sees this cute girl who gets on the train at the same station but
could never summon the courage to talk to her. Through Metro Meet, Benoit discovers than this girl is reading the latest Dan Brown.
He Pings her and strikes a conversation based on that topic.
Cecilia is bored. Through Metro Meet she challenges this guy in the wagon to game of Quiz Up. They then strike a conversation over
their shared taste in weird trivia.
Alban is looking for music to listen to on his way from work. Through Metro Meet he sees that the girl next to him is listening the new
song by The Hold Steady. The activity stream gives him a direct link to the song on Spotify and Alban now has a new favorite band!
Megan often bumps into this superbly dressed girl on her way home from the office. Using Metro Meet, she pings her and asks her
where she got that cool jacket.
Terry is coming home from the Parc Des Princes where he just saw PSG win. He can see somebody sharing a video of the game on
the activity stream and strikes a conversation with the fellow supporter.
Kevin is new in town and wants to get to know people. Through Metro Meet he finds those who share the same route to work as him
and strikes a friendship with somebody who turns out to be his upstairs neighbor.
RATP agents have just boarded the train to check tickets! A few good Samaritan Metro Meet users post the info on the activity stream
to notify others. Michael just avoided a 40 euro fine!
It’s 2am and Thomas is in the metro looking for a hookup. That girl on the other side of the wagon sure looks cute… and tipsy.
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14. Business model and development plan
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15. Business model and development plan
Market sizing (Paris only)
4.5m daily riders
(number 1 in
Europe)
1.5m aged 20-35
1.2m smartphone
users
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16. Business model and development plan
Market sizing (total Europe)
London
Berlin
Madrid
650.000
180.000
375.000
Total addressable market of at least 2.4 million in Europe only (Paris + London
+ Berlin + Madrid).
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17. Business model and development plan
Competitors
High threat level
Non mainstream appeal. Don’t emphasize geolocation features. Built for
exchanging with friends, not for meeting people.
Not built for real life meetings. Focused on check in instead of sharing. Do not
have a mainstream appeal.
Not built around geolocation and 020 interactions. Have historically been laggards
in mobile.
Weak mobile presence. Unappealing to a large part of our target audience.
Low threat level
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18. Business model and development plan
Development plan
January – March 2014: app development and beta testing
April 2014: roll out of french iOS version supported by large scale street marketing campaign
near metro stations and ads inside train wagons (line by line approach to ensure critical mass of
users on most important lines).
June 2014: 50.000 iOS downloads, 25.000 active users in Paris
September 2014: 150.000 iOS downloads, 50.000 active users in Paris. Roll out of Android and
Windows phone versions.
December 2014: 500.000 downloads across platforms, 250.000 active users in Paris. Roll out of
London version.
March 2015: 1.5 million active users worldwide. Roll out of Madrid and Berlin versions.
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19. Business model and development plan
How do we monetize?
Short term
Advertisement: can sell advanced, context aware ad products
Ex: real estate agency pushes ads for flats near work metro station for people who have
a commute over 45 minutes, TV station advertises for the show airing tonight, ads for
places near your home metro station
Revenue share from 3rd parties
Amazon for books
Spotify and other music services
Sell user data to mainstream dating sites
In app purchases
Ex: virtual gifts, games etc…
Long term
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20. Founding team
Property of Metro Meet. No diffusion or reproduction without authorization.
2014 UNEX No diffusion or reproduction without authorization.
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21. Founding team
Kevin Mbasa
Maelle Azoulay
Kevin is passionate about human behavior. A
graduate from the IEP Bordeaux and the
EHESS, he has 4 years of experience as a
sociologist specialized in socialization behavior
in urban environment.
A female prodigy in a men’s world, Maelle is a
serial entrepreneur. She has already launched
7 mobile apps 3 of which made it to the top 10
most popular apps of the apple app store.
It is by observing people in the metro that Kevin
had the idea of a mobile app that could harness
the basic human need for human connection in
public transportation settings.
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Self taught and fiercely independent (she
started coding at age 15) Maelle is a
recognized leader in mobile UX and does
consulting work for Facebook, Orange and EA.
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