I’ve been having ever such adventures with startups. My new lifestyle (since March this year) takes place in startup land and I am learning all about innovation spaces and the ecosystem of incubators and accelerators and boot camps – oh my!
A couple of months back I attended an OXLEP growth hub event full of startups pitching their ideas. I met some very interesting and lovely people but the only startup I’ve followed up with as a user is Bimble. Bimble is a cross between Pinterest and Trip Advisor. Build a list, on whatever topic you like. Search for locations and add them. Write a short piece (450 words max) on why you like it.
I ran into a technical challenge in that my list of innovation centres was hampered by the fact they’re not all listed on google yet and that’s where Bimble gets its data. But the interface was easy to use and the techncial support was swift and friendly. The more I use it the functions I want from it. I want to see who favourites my lists, I want more powers to follow list creators, I want more ways to explore my community and lists near me, I want more editorial and tagging functions. I want the ability to export my lists in case this start up stops.
I think the fact I keep wanting more is a good sign. I nearly walked away after my first technical issue but something brings me back to Bimble. I think because it’s not quite like anything else. It feels fresh and user-generated. You’re not trapped in the box of how Trip Advisor wants you to define things. You’re not just pinning and moving on like Pinterest. I feel an urge to create and curate better lists. Oh, and I like the name too. Absolutely amazed they secured Bimble.com – is the term “bimble” that obscure? Who doesn’t like to bimble around?
Right now I have two lists: Innovation Centres and Spa Days. You can find them at my user profile: https://bimble.com/user/rhiannonlassiter. Go and have a bimble around the site and let me know your thoughts!