Dan Swinimer helped gather a tribe to launch a new app he hopes will disrupt the world of social media and websites where things are bought and sold.
Currently beta-tested for public launch, the platform counts Nickelback singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger among its four 含羞草研究社渇ounders/angels,含羞草研究社� along with Swinimer, his father Bill and fellow Surrey-area musician/construction company boss Felipe Freig.
含羞草研究社淲e set out to try and monetize social media, while making it a safer and more positive experience,含羞草研究社� said Swinimer, who lives in the Clayton area of Surrey. 含羞草研究社淲e felt it unfair that social media users do all the work, provide all the content but make none of the profits.含羞草研究社�
Trybe is based on an award system that sends as little as 10 cents per 含羞草研究社渓ike,含羞草研究社� coupled with a built-in 含羞草研究社渨in-win含羞草研究社� for users, as Swinimer describes it.
含羞草研究社淓very time you award someone else含羞草研究社檚 post, you get exposure for your own post which gives you a better chance of your post being seen and also making money in awards,含羞草研究社� he told the Now-Leader.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 turned into a thing, it really has,含羞草研究社� added the Ontario-raised Swinimer. 含羞草研究社淲e sold shares and raised almost $2 million, we have head offices in Toronto, a CEO (Thomas Jankowski) and staff of 10 coders. It含羞草研究社檚 turned into so much more than we originally conceived.含羞草研究社�
In the late-2000s, Swinimer and Freig were members of the rock band when they met Kroeger, who shared a manager at the time.
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Today, Swinimer is a songwriter/producer with his own , and Frieg runs Langley-based .
A couple of years ago, Frieg told Swinimer about an issue involving his teen son, Jadis, who含羞草研究社檇 been posting video of his scooter-riding tricks to social media.
含羞草研究社淵ou can含羞草研究社檛 even believe the tricks that this kid can do on the scooter, it含羞草研究社檚 amazing,含羞草研究社� Swinimer said. 含羞草研究社淗is son didn含羞草研究社檛 have any sponsors at that point, but he was spending hours and hours every day practicing, getting really, really good, and then he spent his own money buying all this video equipment and editing software. So he含羞草研究社檇 spend four or five hours a day practicing, learning tricks, videoing them from multiple angles, then he含羞草研究社檇 edit these videos just so that he could post them on social media. And what does he get for that? The 含羞草研究社榣ikes,含羞草研究社� and that含羞草研究社檚 it. He含羞草研究社檇 been doing this for a while, and we realized that with the social media model, everyone is providing the product and getting nothing in return.含羞草研究社�
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After Swinimer and Freig talked some more, they clicked on the idea for Trybe as a way to monetize social media.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a platform where if you post something, you have a chance to make money on that post,含羞草研究社� Swinimer elaborated. 含羞草研究社淲hen people post to social media, the most important thing is content, connecting with people and receiving validation from others. So imagine if you mixed in the possibility of making money and also having complete control over how many people will see your posts.含羞草研究社� The more people I reward, the more people will see my posts, and the more chance I have of making money on my posts. If the content is good and views-to-engagement ratio is high, it also drives exposure to the post, so that lights a little fire under the post.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社� RELATED STORY, from May 2020: .
Out of the gate, Kroeger had the level of celebrity pull sought by Swinimer and Freig for Trybe.
含羞草研究社淲e discussed it with Chad and right away, he was excited about it because he could see how it could transform the music business,含羞草研究社� Swinimer recalled. 含羞草研究社淚t could completely disrupt the entire distribution chain, because it含羞草研究社檚 a pain in the ass going through iTunes, which takes a lot of the proceeds. So what about a world where you post new music on Trybe? You give a download code to anyone who rewards this post with a dollar or more, and now you含羞草研究社檙e keeping all the money that comes in.含羞草研究社�
Right now, to get early access to the app, users join a waitlist by downloading the iOS or Android app from .
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Nickelback raved about Trybe含羞草研究社檚 launch to the band含羞草研究社檚 738,000 followers on the rival Twitter platform: 含羞草研究社淣o more giving away your creativity and time to social media giants. The new way 含羞草研究社� Social. Be yourself, be with your people, get rewards. See you on there.含羞草研究社� A day later, for her 21 million followers on Twitter.
Swinimer says Kroeger is 含羞草研究社渧ery involved含羞草研究社� in the project, and likes to be in the meetings when and where he can, including the time when the four Trybe founders flew in Kroeger含羞草研究社檚 private jet to Silicon Valley.
含羞草研究社淲e didn含羞草研究社檛 tour with Nickelback (with Jet Black Stare) back then, but toured with a lot of their friends, like 3 Doors Down, Hinder and Staind,含羞草研究社� Swinimer recalled. 含羞草研究社淔or someone of his level of recognition, Chad is very accessible to musicians. He含羞草研究社檚 not hard to find and he含羞草研究社檚 happy to talk to people. One night he took us out to celebrate our record deal when we first signed it, so that was kind of our first foray. He took us out to the Commodore Ballroom because Kid Rock was doing a special invite-only show there. So we含羞草研究社檙e in his little VIP section, and then we went to some penthouse suite afterwards to hang out. It was weird, man, because up to that point it was all independent music, never getting anywhere, and all the sudden we含羞草研究社檙e partying with Kid Rock. It was a wild ride.含羞草研究社�
In the decade since those rock-band days, after Jet Black Stare含羞草研究社檚 record deal with Island Def Jam had collapsed, Swinimer turned his attention to country music and launching the careers of musicians including Madeline Merlo and Jojo Mason. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e been living in Surrey for 20 years,含羞草研究社� he noted. 含羞草研究社淚 built my production company here and have written/produced upwards of 40 hit songs since starting.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社� RELATED STORY, from March 2020: .
As for Trybe, the app含羞草研究社檚 public release should be in a month or so, he said.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e using a system where we are making it very exclusive and making people excited about it, excited to get in early. We have multiple celebrities on board to get behind this new idea once we are public. It含羞草研究社檚 very exciting.含羞草研究社�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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