After developing the idea for the past four months, a sophomore at Tulane University, has created a new social media app that he has been dreaming about for years.
While other students were relaxing and enjoying their summer vacations, Harrison Berger began to plan the design of the software and search for a coder to help develop his future app, Frameshare.
“I recently created a blueprint and started a business plan describing my idea showing how the app would be monetized with featured advertisements,” Berger said.
According to James Lambert, A’14, founder and CEO of Concierge Solutions, developing apps in college has become one of the most highly profitable careers among the young entrepreneurs of our generation.
“The millennial generation is the first generation to actually use and understand smartphone apps and web apps, and all these exciting products that are coming out in the tech world,” Lambert said.
Lambert said that the skills he acquired while studying public relations at Loyola University New Orleans’ School of Mass Communication helped him create his tech startup, Concierge Solutions, with his roommate.
“This was something that was in the back of my head, and he was a business major and I was a communications major. We just collaborated on the idea and it eventually fell to the way side.” Lambert said.
Students like Maggie Donatelli, mass communication junior, are taught how to use social media platforms as an advantage in business.
“We have learned how to utilize social media as a good tool that can benefit a company’s outreach,” Donatelli said.
Lambert encourages young entrepreurs like Harrison Berger to take the leap, and just do it. His website and app are scheduled to launch in July of next year at Tales of the Cocktail.
After some advice and mentoring from Lambert, Berger has realized what steps he must take to move along with his project towards the launch phase.
“The biggest struggle I have found with this project is finding someone to develop it for me. I haven’t had a good relationship with my last developer who was supposed to do it, “ Berger said.
Berger said he now has a clear plan of how the app will look, work and maybe in the future, display advertisements. He uses inspiration from the creators of other social networks such as Facebook, YikYak, Instagram and Snapchat to remind himself that a college student is capable of this success.
He is ready to begin his project but is missing just one puzzle piece: a coder.
“Now I am trying to find one at Tulane or Loyola, which has been very hard for me. There are not many people in that field.” Berger said.