'TIYO' A new device to help you escape awkward social situations

by Startacus Admin

Monetising social awkwardness seems all the rage it appears.

Last week we highlighted the growing popularity of My Invisible Girlfriend / Boyfriend and only yesterday we spotted news of a crowdfunding project that again picked up on the social awkwardness that can come about through dating, being in a boring meeting, or simply being in the midst of an embarrassing conversation.

TIYO (THIS-IS-YOUR-OUT) is a device that helps you escape awkward situations. One press of a small secretly hid button and bingo - seconds later you get a phone call to escape said situation. An immediate escape and a get out of jail card so to speak!

As Ivan Lukianchuk, Founder of TIYO explained via their crowdfunding page on IndieGoGo:

“I decided to bring this cool idea into reality after hearing story after story from my wife Sarah about a rep at work who just won’t stop talking. He’s so bad that when he enters someone’s office other employees have to take notice and if he doesn't leave after 10 minutes then they must call the victim so they can carry on with their day! When a one line email would suffice, this guy will talk to you for 30 minutes.

As an entrepreneur I do a lot of pitching and networking and I often find myself stuck in conversations with people that go nowhere, but have no clear exit. We realized that there are so many things a simple phone call can solve in both a business and personal setting that it was a no-brainer! I started talking to people about the idea and they thought it was a blast!”

For all its potential glory, check out their pitch video below.

It’s a fab novel idea, but don’t be fooled by the rather comical nature of the product. In an age where real life social P’s and Q’s are being replaced by online ‘likes’, ‘swipes’ and five second chats, it comes as no surprise to see TIYO being pitched for £100k worth of investment. That and the fact that Ivan is a successful entrepreneur with experience of raising over $300k on a previous startup.

We love great ideas and startups - our own Collaboration and showcasing area on Startacus is proof of that (subtle plug of ourselves done) and whilst we ain't necessarily a barometer of what's hot and what's not, we encourage you to take a gander at TIYO’s IndieGoGo page, and if nothing else follow their progress. We reckon they’re right on the button with this one :)

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• #indiegogo
• #tiyo
• #crowdfunding

Published on: 16th July 2014