{"id":19465,"date":"2021-03-22T17:28:34","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T00:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/?p=19465"},"modified":"2026-04-15T16:36:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T23:36:44","slug":"how-an-in-person-networking-app-tripled-its-users-during-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foundersnetwork.com\/how-an-in-person-networking-app-tripled-its-users-during-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"How An In-Person Networking App Tripled Its Users During the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2019, the networking app, Plain Sight, raised <\/span>$1M in pre-seed funding<\/span><\/a>. Plain Sight is a social networking platform that takes an unbiased approach to connecting like-minded people together virtually and in-person, and the app was instantly gaining traction.<\/span><\/h3>\n

The app officially launched in October of 2020 and in February, Plain Sight<\/a> scored its first major partnership with Delta<\/a>. Every Delta Sky Lounge<\/a> would be listed on the app \u2014\u00a0a huge win for a new app.\u00a0 But March, air travel would be cut in half due to COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe started a social networking platform to improve in-person networking five months before the pandemic,\u201d <\/span>founder James Chapman<\/span><\/a> explained. \u201cWe got some momentum and then had all the momentum taken away. But now we have that momentum again.\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

To regain momentum, James and his team had to <\/span>pivot their entire business strategy<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWe had to start thinking about how we can help people get connected virtually, as well as how can we still provide at least some kind of value to physical spaces.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe started a social networking platform to improve in-person networking five months before the pandemic. We got some momentum and then had all the momentum taken away. But now we have that momentum again.\u201c - @iWroteTheHustle <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n

For physical spaces, they began to list the safety precautions they were taking: cleaning procedures, availability of PPE, etc. You can also see the number of people who are allowed in the space and how many people are checked in at a given time. In some cases, you can see floor plan, as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn the virtual side, we started to list spaces for organizations who were wanting to find ways to keep their community connected, but maybe they’ve been either doing nothing or hijacking tools like Slack that is not built for networking. We started to pick up clients who wanted to build virtual communities and use our platform for that. So those are the two things that we’ve been able to do to add value during this time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result of these pivots, the app has been able to continue to gain new members and partnerships. In fact, the number of users and activity on the platform has increased by 250%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just like James has had to pivot the direction of his startup, individuals and businesses who rely on networking have had to change their strategies in order to find success in this new environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the Founders Network event<\/a>, James will offer insights and advice about what to expect for the future of networking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Register at <\/span>Founders Network<\/span><\/a> and check if you <\/span>qualify for full membership<\/span><\/a> and get actionable advice on:<\/span><\/p>\n