After being acquired by Lockerz, the founders of TweetPhoto [Plixi] stayed on for (approximately) another two years. Sean Callahan and Rodney Rumford couldn’t hold still, though, and they just knew (based on their great relationship and complementary tech skills) that they’d eventually start another company together. Alongside TweetPhoto colleague and former CTO Daniel Marashlian, the three started SlimSurveys. SlimSurveys allows users to create short, simple surveys that can be completed in 30 seconds or less from the Web or any mobile device. This is done primarily by providing survey makers room for only seven questions. When designing SlimSurveys, Callahan, Rumford, and Marashlian conducted a lot of prior research and testing, as well as utilizing lessons they learned from their experiences running TweetPhoto. Coming from TweetPhoto, they were confident in their knowledge of two things: real-time Web and mobile experience. With over 300 companies competing in the survey space (including behemoth SurveyMonkey), the three founders knew that they would need to create a product that focused on the consumer (i.e. our patience or time, as well as our penchant for simple or simplifying tasks). For SlimSurveys, they adopted a strategy that they learned from their time at TweetPhoto, and focused on micro-interactions – the ability for people to give feedback without having to do a lot of work (e.g., Facebook “like”) – to drive SlimSurveys’ design. The user experience is the most important lesson the trio learned from TweetPhoto, and it is a persistent concern at SlimSurveys. Prior to official release, the company collected over 500 data points of feedback from 275 beta testers. The founders emphasize this need for constant feedback because they empathize with the experiences of the user and truly want to improve those experiences.
