First there was the book, then the Facebook widget, and now the Viral Loop iPhone app, which went officially live today. It just goes to show that marketing a book ain't what it used to be.
While the Facebook application tells you what you're worth in dollars to Facebook based on your level of engagement, your friends' activity level and your "influence"--defined, in part, by how well you spread the app--the Viral Loop iPhone app is a predictions market--the first to earn its own iPhone app. Simply put, users who download the Viral Loop Predictions Market from Apple's app store or iTunes get $10,000 in play money to bet on the future. (If a user runs out of money, there are ways to raise more capital, like, well, buying the book.)
Along with StudioE9, which created both applications, I partnered with InTrade to handle the back end. Initially I'd planned to handle things--creating the predictions,...
While the Facebook application tells you what you're worth in dollars to Facebook based on your level of engagement, your friends' activity level and your "influence"--defined, in part, by how well you spread the app--the Viral Loop iPhone app is a predictions market--the first to earn its own iPhone app. Simply put, users who download the Viral Loop Predictions Market from Apple's app store or iTunes get $10,000 in play money to bet on the future. (If a user runs out of money, there are ways to raise more capital, like, well, buying the book.)
Along with StudioE9, which created both applications, I partnered with InTrade to handle the back end. Initially I'd planned to handle things--creating the predictions,...
- 10/19/2009
- by Adam Penenberg
- Fast Company
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