Govinda Giri, Founder and CEO of Sagoon Inc. talks to Core Communique – a poor boy from the hills of Nepal Govind took his education at Kathmandu and left his dream job at The PENTAGON to build his own team at Sagoon. During the course of the conversation Govind shares how he got around to starting Sagoon in India and his dreams for the future. Excerpts:
The struggle that has brought him here
I grew up in a relatively small village in the hilly regions of Nepal. All I was meant to do was plough the field, take care for and feed the goats, or so I thought.
My struggle was long and brought me to the land of freedom and liberty — the United States of America. In America, I studied computer science and ended up working at the Department of Defence, The Pentagon. Twelve long years passed but I could not be at peace with what I was doing. I wanted to do something, more.
Sagoon was the answer to all my problems. I needed a start, and what better a start than working from a country that has given birth to the some of the greatest minds in the world. India rules the IT world and my struggle has brought me here.
His Dreams
Well, I am a dreamer and a crazy one at that! Sagoon has given me direction and a clear vision I have for the world. It is simple:
“To build a platform where everyone comes together, under a single canopy, in order to solve each other’s problems and better each other’s lives.”
And, if Sagoon helps them be better individuals, become better in their lives, relationships and work, what else can be more rewarding that that?
Niche He Is Aiming At
Sagoon is made for people across all ages, especially students and working professionals. It is the majority of this section which leads hectic, demanding and stressful lives. Young individuals are socially more connected and are most prone to experience loneliness, isolation due to an over exposure to social networks. Sagoon’s work starts from here.
We aim to curb such underlying and prevailing social behaviours which act as deterrents to a more productive and fulfilling life.
Sagoon: The story so far
Sagoon was launched as a search engine in 2009. After 14 months of trial and error, while facing a ridiculously rough capital environment, and a successful patent filing, Sagoon pivoted and became a social network in 2014.
After more than two years of continuous research, layout designing, building prototype and testing, the preliminary work on the new Sagoon began and went on for eight months. Sagoon was formally launched in July 2014.
Sagoon released the ‘Scheduling Tool’ in beta and acquired 10,000 registered users, later Sagoon launched a suite of applications (Secret and Occasion) and acquired 40,000 more registered users. Earlier last month, Sagoon introduced ‘ME’ Page and ‘Social Smart Card’ and now Sagoon has over 165,000 registered users as of May 2015.
What he wants his target audience to know about Sagoon?
The paradox of being connected but being really alone is augmented in today’s young people, especially in their twenties.
Unlike other social networks, Sagoon wants to redefine the meaning of having an online social identity — for every user. An identity which is real, relatable and meaningful. Our system is carefully designed to help users create and sustain strong bonds with loved ones, family, friends and even co-workers.
Secondly, we don’t offer a service that adds to addiction. We are not a total time suck like many other networks out there. We respect users’ time and routine. That’s why our social apps are designed to add actual value to users’ day-to-day lives. What’s more, the user is not just another user. A Sagoon user is a member of the ‘Sagoon Family’, which means he or she gets a share of what the company earns. Win Win.
Sagoon Inc. Sagoon – a USA-based corporation, also located in India (100% subsidiary Private Ltd), is a ten-month-old Internet company developing a global web and mobile platform that allows users to connect, share and earn. The company has:
- acquired more than 150,000 registered users within six months of launch
- more than 500,000 messages and stories in pictures shared
- more than 1.5 million email addresses stored by users
This email is to let you know that they have recently launched Sagoon Social Smart Card which is an online credit card. This is a new feature, announced as an entry point offering with a $5 sign up reward. It is built around the idea of creating a “One Card for All” — for shopping, gifting and even for sharing company’s revenue with every single user. The ‘Card’ will work for soft money transactions as well. First-time users will receive Sagoon Social Smart Card on their profile or ‘ME’ page again a new feature added by Sagoon.
Social Smart Card has an increasing value model: the more users consume Sagoon, the more cash gets added to their very own card. Sharing secrets, celebrating occasions, or simply using Sagoon will put more money into Social Smart Card.
In addition to this, Sagoon has the following applications on offer:
Secret share – Secret Share or Secret Messaging Tool remains at the core of Sagoon’s application suite. It is built around the idea of sharing ‘secrets’ with a new definition “Information needs to be disclosed but never truly disclosed” to make end user(s), informed. users’ discover secret messages in pictures or in text (optional), and share it with intended user(s). These secrets are self-destruct messages designed to leave no trace after receiving user views them. A timer (60 seconds) is provided to the user to view and share the secret.
ME page – ME Page or the ‘Professional/Personal Profile’ caters to users’ professional and personal outlook. It is built around the idea of helping people to showcase their real identity, what interests them, and who they really are.
Conversations – Conversation or ‘Conversation Tool’ is a live chat option to connect users worldwide in real time. Conversations disappear after 24 hours. It has a window of up to 24 hours for those who were unable to attend group meetings but wish to be aware, and partake, in the ongoing conversation. Chats can be clubbed under groups; such groups can be instantly made for having meetings, collective chatting and so on. Stickers are provided to liven up and mute conversations that send multiple messages in a single burst.
Note: The pictures showcase Govinda and Sagoon’s effort to help Nepal.
feeling extremely proud of your achievements govind. may God bless you in the years to come 🙂