With the vast amount of information available online, it can often be difficult to differentiate what is true from what is false or misleading. We have all heard the phrase: “do not believe everything you read on the internet”. But this begs the question – how then can we tell what to believe online? In the past, when we had any questions, we used to ask our neighbours and friends. Nowadays, we just Google anything at the click of a button. Technology has made it easier to find the answers, but it comes at the cost of the overall communication process.
Sensay is a platform that uses cutting-edge technology to bring knowledge and communication back into our own hands. Using artificial intelligence, Sensay provides a meaningful experience by matching users with common interests and goals. Whether the topic is travel, relationships, or professions, Sensay will help you find someone who shares in your passion and who is able to provide support and advice.
To learn more about Sensay and how it promotes global communication, we sat down with Sensay’s CEO, Crystal Rose.
In the Photo: Sensay’s Logo Cookies. Photo Credit: Sensay
How was Sensay started?
Crystal Rose: My co-founder and I came up with the idea for Sensay a few years ago. We noticed that Facebook matched people with content that was specifically tailored to them. Whether people’s intentions were to learn more about a particular area or meet people with similar interests, Facebook gave them the means to do that. We wanted to expand on this idea and provide a service where someone could talk to another person for advice, inspiration, or even just normal conversation. Sensay does this by using artificial intelligence technology to match individuals with the experienced members within a geographical area, called “Sensays”. Anyone can be a Sensay for something they know well, creating a marketplace of knowledge for everyone.
More recently, we have also started using blockchain technology on our platform to help efficiently manage interactions and keep identities anonymous and secure. With the introduction of “SENSE tokens”, contributors can be rewarded for posting helpful information online. Whenever this data is accessed, the Sensay is rewarded with “SENSE tokens” which can be converted to other cryptocurrencies. This incentivizes advisers and, in turn, creates a network of information which can help thousands, if not millions of people. To learn more about good and effective communication, visit the website General.
In the Photo: Sensay goal is to help the others. Photo Credit: Sensay
What is Sensay’s ultimate mission?
CR: Our ultimate mission is to ensure that everyone has someone to talk to. Whether it be for business or social reasons, we believe that people should have the right to have a conversation about whatever is on their mind. For instance, if someone is looking for advice to start a new business or specific information not available online, Sensay will allow that person to accomplish their goal faster and easier. Similarly, if someone is dealing with a personal problem where they need help, they will also have access to that, which includes the aspect of anonymity and discretion.
In this day and age, there is so much technological use that people often stick to the internet and forget how to interact with one another. Sensay makes it so that being alone is not forced. We believe that the option to talk to another person should always be an option.
In the Photo: The idea behind Sensay. Photo Credit: Sensay
With all the other social media and messaging apps, are you worried about competition and other challenges they create?
CR: Not at all! Ideally, we want Sensay to integrate with other services. We already work with popular messaging platforms such as Facebook Messenger, Slack, and Telegram, and we are looking to expand into others such as WeChat and Skype. Apart from messaging, payment is one of the most common uses for phones nowadays, so we might potentially add a payment interface in the future as well.
One of the biggest challenges this marketplace or any marketplace faces for that matter is the initial aversion to the new platform. People will always be more comfortable with what they are familiar with. For us, that changes the question from whether we are better than our competitors to whether we are better by a large enough margin that people will use our platform. It’s our job to show them that there is a better way, that the current system is not ideal, similar to the effect Uber had on taxis. Until there is a serious paradigm shift where a majority of people are convinced that improvements can be made, our major challenge will be overcoming that hurdle.
How does Sensay plan to grow in the future?
CR: Right now, we would like to grow the platform a lot more. Promote our SENSE tokens, get more Sensays, and most of all get more people on the platform. The more people online, the more knowledge transferred, which leads to more satisfied individuals. Another major thing that we hope to create is a smart bot. Everyone should have a bot to answer basic questions and do simplistic tasks which do not require a large amount of effort, such as scheduling and checking emails. Being able to use a smart bot for such tasks would save a lot of people time and leave more time for meaningful human interaction.
