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JUMPSTART
JUMPSTART
Everyone remembers times when we were
friendlier with neighbors and people helped one
another. Technology helps to connect us with
people around the world, but what about people
who live next door or upstairs?
for school and work, but we all call
Hong Kong our home and agree that
Hong Kong is a great city. So what is
making people feel nostalgic for ‘times
past’? The answer is a complicated
mix of changes in technology, society’s
tolerance levels, distribution of
knowledge, and increased material
consumption.
Through brainstorming, the
cofounders recognized that a social
group which has negatively been
impacted by technology is the
‘neighbor group’. Everyone remembers
times when we were friendlier with
neighbors and people helped one
another. Technology helps to connect
us with people around the world but
what about people who live next door
or upstairs? This was when the idea of
a neighborhood social network started
to take shape. A social network is the
ideal platform to start connecting real
neighbors through a modern channel
that is familiar and embraced by a tech
savvy society.
WHO DO YOU HOPE WILL USE THIS
PLATFORM?
INTERVIEW WITH THE TEAM OF
MYFLAT.HK
We believe there is practical
TELL US ABOUT YOUR STARTUP!
know any of their neighbors.
a good doctor or tutor nearby,
While technology is great in
you can seek information on
Myflat.hk is a neighborhood
many ways, it is also something
local shops, you can share
social network for Hong Kong
that has moved us away from
resources, you can plan bulk
that aims to better connect
face-to-face contact. Social
purchases to get discounts,
residents with their real
networks connect people across
you can buy or sell items, you
neighbors, thereby creating a
cyberspace but don’t necessarily
can plan collective recycling or
stronger community in which
connect people across the
donation opportunities, you
they live.
hallway. This is where Myflat
can inform your neighbors if
We often hear people say that
differs; we want to connect
you see anything suspicious
Hong Kong is less friendly than
people with their real neighbors.
downstairs, you can share
before and that they hardly
Why do we want to do this?
taxis…the list goes on and on!
There are numerous ways to utilize a
platform that connects people who
live close to one another. Aside from
opportunities to help and support
each other, it creates a community of
neighbors who are friendlier. And we
believe that these are all good things
for Hong Kong!
value in connecting with your
neighbors and being part of a
stronger community. You can
ask for recommendations for
WHO ARE THE BRAINS BEHIND THIS
BUSINESS? HOW DID THEY COME UP
WITH THE IDEA?
The idea evolved over time. There are
three cofounders (Matt, Antony and
Doug) who were initially interested
in building value-added tools and
services for the property sector in
Hong Kong. However, at an early
stage, they realized that they wanted
to create something that could benefit
a wider segment of users and also be
a more sticky application that users
would visit regularly.
The idea for a neighb