A very large amount of my phone messages are actually null-content messages: my phone is very often a "I'm here" when picking someone up, or "let me in" or "done shopping, waiting for you" if I'm grocery shopping with someone.

Basically any time someone says "message me when..." there is no conversation when I message them. There is just a contentless phone call or text message. This is filling a communication niche that isn't well supported by the existing methods.

That said, I'm still not willing to install a new app just for that, but that doesn't mean there isn't value there.

The existing method, of course, is a standard SMS message that says "Yo". I've sent plenty of them.

presumably the value of the OP is that it reduces that friction of opening your SMS app and typing "Yo"

Given that a "Yo" usually follows a more detailed text message like "Text me when you're downstairs," I think the total finger-on-screen time would be higher to open the Yo app and search for the right contact.

I assume that Yo has another plan that they haven't gone public with yet, since "Company that just says Yo raises $1m" is more newsworthy than "Company to solve problem X raises $1m." They'll get people to download the app and then add the new functionality with an automatic update.

Because the app magically sends the Yos without having to be launched? Facebook messenger has the thumbs up as a single press, as the send button turns into that with null content.

It's the equivalent, in those cases, of a missed call or "prankie" or whatever people might call them where you live.

"Prank me when you get close and I'll meet you out front."

That's fair. I think you did just find a use case for it? But I think the very fact that you won't install an app just for that (rightfully so in my opinion!) by definition means there is no value there.

I don't think it is fair to say anything I won't install has no value, I won't install WhatsApp or Snapchat either. Pretty much 0% of all apps that have enough value to raise $1m seed funding provide enough value for me to install them.

Have you ever seen late night TV ads for a golf club that allows you to piss in it? I never understood Instagram and Snapchat and the likes. I don't use it and I find it's ridiculous that there people who use it. But apparently there is whole mass of 17 yrs olds who live on this crap. It's similar to whole mass of 65 years old craving for pissable golf clubs. These kind of things either will inspire you to make more things like that or just brush them off as side effect of huge human population where even 0.01% of market is pretty big number.

the pissable golf clubs were on Shark Tank once, and they're not doing all that well.

Still going though https://www.uroclub.com/

I could see the Tinder-style pivot actually making this an interesting app.

As it stands, what this app fails to do is establish a channel of communication. If I message a friend on Skype, I know that we're most likely going to converse over Skype. Same with email, SMS, phone call, etc. With Yo, however, they have to choose some method of communication which may not be ideal for me. Furthermore, given that there is zero metadata regarding the "Yo", they have no clue how urgent it is that they get in touch over some real communication channel. The only context that one can have around a Yo would have to be established before-hand (over a medium for real communication).

In fact, since there's no metadata (besides the identity of the sender), Yo is actually less useful than a beeper.

>As it stands, what this app fails to do is establish a channel of communication.

This might be the allure. Its a message without baggage. There's no guilt for failing to say "hey, how are you man?" No shame in saying "yo" and getting on with your life. Because it lacks the ability to "establish a channel of communication," it inherently removes social pressures to extend the communication to a degree one or both parties may not want at the moment.

That's an interesting theory, and something like that could have a place somewhere. It's unfortunate that one has to establish the grounds for such a relationship beforehand, by convincing someone to download this app that allows pinging between them and exactly one other person (until this app gets more traction).