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

Tinder, Bumble proceed the site, Hinge, Match — record 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 just just How it all started

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

Much like numerous graduate pupils, the Bristol indigenous invested most of their amount of time in the publications, restricting opportunities for in-person connection.

“I utilized dating apps a whole lot because i did son’t have time that is much fulfill individuals. But we noticed that many dating apps had been comparable,” Diakogiannis stated. “You simply match with someone and text forward and backward them. unless you meet”

The lacking ingredient? Engagement.

“ we thought the card swiping game had been enjoyable, nevertheless the thing we hated about conventional relationship apps had been the relationship after matching with another user,” he said. “The whole concept of texting a complete complete stranger some random pickup line 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 frequently funny in the wild and can include descriptive text. (picture thanks to Picme)

Bringing more interaction to dating apps

Diakogiannis’ very first effort came through Spark, a video clip speed-dating software which permitted users to connect through FaceTime-style movie chats. The software 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 just take another approach.

“It had been not so practical to obtain individuals in identical geographical location online at the same time frame to create movie telephone telephone telephone calls,” he said. “The pool of possible users had been too little.”

Diakogiannis’ latest application, Picme, came as a result to that particular problem.

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

Picme takes motivation from Snapchat insofar as the photo-based structure while its “card swiping” feature follows the Tinder model. Diakogiannis stated these records had been in keeping with their objective to create an app that is interactive completely reinventing the wheel.

“Picme ended up being a hybrid of my idea for Spark,” he said. “You reach see individuals and communicate with them on a far more level that is personal changing the dating model that’s already worked.”

The movie below programs how a application works in real-time.

The long, grueling procedure

Diakogiannis had some type of computer technology level, but this didn’t suggest he knew simple tips to build an application.

The UConn alumnus read a 1,000-page textbook on personal computers. He sat discovered the particulars of development for iOS, Apple’s mobile operating-system which powers most of the company’s devices, such as the iPhone and ipod itouch. He discovered brand new development languages, formal languages that are utilized to implement 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 perform Picme.

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

Apple arrived next.

“Apple features a big group of guidelines you must adhere by when publishing to your application shop. I did son’t have a ‘Sign in with Apple’ key the very first time I presented the application and so they rejected me personally,” Diakogiannis stated. “I experienced to totally replace the login system to have it to assist both Twitter and Apple.”

Picme received four rejections before qualifying for the App shop, where it is currently readily available for down load. The software even offers a webpage.

“It ended up being very difficult, but i obtained it completed with the aid of my amazing friends and family,” Diakogiannis stated. “I don’t understand what i might do without them.”

Nikos Diakogiannis edits rule while focusing on their application. He’s got a bachelor’s level in computer technology through the University of Connecticut.

Encouraged by family members

“The moment I made a decision to follow entrepreneurship had been a really time personally that is hard me personally,” Diakogiannis stated. “My pappou on my mother’s side, whom assisted raise me personally, ended up being bedridden with dementia. We felt hopeless and very hurt and unfortunate.”

But seeing their grandfather during their final times inspired the young business owner, whom stated he began convinced that “life had been too brief” to not have a danger by developing an application.

“i desired to move for the fences and hopefully strike a property run,” Diakogiannis said. “i needed which will make my grandfather happy with me, 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 along with his grandfather, Konstantinos Kousournas, during the Diagoras Airport on their ancestral area of Rhodes, Greece. Kousournas passed away in might 2017 in the chronilogical age of 82. (picture thanks to Nikos Diakogiannis)

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

“Pappou took me personally every-where out of the house and spend some quality time together with him just to get me. He had been the person whom first took us to America from Rhodes, Greece in 1969,” he stated. “He ended up being always proud to be A us and then he liked this nation.”

Diakogiannis stated this 1 time he hopes to offer their application and spend his parents off’ business.

“My parents have already been spending so much time for pretty much 30 years within the dry cleansing and tailoring business,” he said. “They instilled that same work that is hard in me. I do want to manage to let them have some slack in the end these full years which help them retire.”

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

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