THE STORY
Into is an app that allows you to share the top five things you’re digging at the moment. The app was created by Dylan Petro, a class of 2015 grad, who is currently a grad student studying Computer Science, and Adrian Diaz, a 2011 Wharton MBA currently getting his masters in CIS. Dylan and Adrien met last year, as they were in the same program. Jeffery Silver (C'16), who knew Dylan through his fraternity and wanted to expand the app to Android, joined the team in April 2015.
"Something as simple as the best french toast you’ve ever had…that’s what Into is all about. It's about that moment where you discover something that you’re excited about, and being able to share that moment on an app that is dedicated to that purpose. And the cool thing is, through this sharing of knowledge,” explained Diaz.
The app soft launched about six months ago. The guys created the app as a sort of uncluttered feed to see what their friends were into. They created it as something they personally wanted and jokingly remarked that if the app doesn’t pick up, at least they’ll know what each other is doing for the rest of their lives.
WHY SHOULD YOU DOWNLOAD INTO?
Yeah, we have a bunch of other useless apps that we’ve downloaded once and never looked at again (looking at you, Yo). However, if you want to support some Penn kids who created something that has potential to become super useful, Into is the app for you. The app is still being developed and constantly evolving and changing as the founders get user feedback. For example, they are currently working on a discover function, to recommend new “Intos.”
Into is less persistent than the constant feed you get from Facebook, and has more staying power than a simple tweet that you would send on Twitter, which would disappear in your feed. Each Into is pretty meaningful—we were reminded of Myspace’s top eight type selectivity.
WHO YOU’RE INTO
If you’re like Street, you’re finding the coolest artists, the newest brunch spots or the best speakeasies in Philly. Into gives you an outlet to express this, without being obnoxious as hell on Facebook—which btw, is so last year.
The creators also made an effort to put a “link" button all over the app so you can stop pretending to know who the hell that indie band your friend has been talking about. By adding the button, the guess–work is taken out of the picture; clicking the link will take you straight to the website of whatever your friends are into. There is a function to also bookmark or recommend Intos.
THE DL
Into takes the clutter and noise surrounded by popular social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. Don’t worry about scrolling through the sixth cat video of the day on your feed from your crazy aunt—Into removed all the bullshit, to give you what you want to see. The creators stress the need to follow different people, but once you have your base of followers, you'll basically get a curated feed of what your friends are into.
As a sharer, you’re participating in an exchange of knowledge, whether it's with a stranger or your best friend.
Famous last words: you only get five choices. Choose wisely, my friends.
