Never underestimate the power of a techie scorned. Chris Dykstra, an information-technology developer and a grassroots political organizer, was fond of Meetup, an online tool for linking individuals to special-interest groups. As an experienced software developer and Web designer, Dykstra understood that the application’s simplicity was the key to its success.
“We used Meetup for organizing and getting the word out about political meetings during the election cycle,” says Dykstra, who is active in the Democratic Party. “In many ways, it was an ideal political tool, and one of the best things about it was that it was free.” But last spring, Meetup announced that it would begin charging organizers for listing meetings and events. That inspired him to create an alternative called Gatheroo.
“I figured I could build a business that supported itself and provided that service for free rather than charging for it,” Dykstra says.
A cofounder of Warecorp—a Minneapolis-based custom software developer and IT services provider whose local clients include 3M and MinuteClinic—Dykstra considers himself a practitioner of “enlightened capitalism,” which he defines as “using the marketplace to make a profit and improve life for workers, customers, and the earth.” Along with angel investors, he also signed on longtime community activists Randall Kindley and Laura Herridge to help make Gatheroo more useful to its target market.
The typical early user of Gatheroo, Dykstra says, will be “somebody who runs a small interest group in their neighborhood with 10 to 15 people who wants to meet regularly and share information,” such as meeting notes and membership data. Another typical user would be a political organization or any type of grassroots coalition.
Gatheroo was scheduled to launch its beta version in January. Dykstra insists that basic use of the site will remain free, and hopes to finance the site primarily through advertising revenues. Gatheroo also offers “premium” accounts, which can provide purchasers with added services, such as document management and other IT capabilities.
Given that Dykstra started Gatheroo as a free alternative to Meetup, why do its extra services cost money? “I want to practice ‘enlightened capitalism,’” he says with a laugh. “But I want to make money, too.”
