It's Here - IDEAROAM!

If you read our blog, then I know you're our friends and family.  (Or a perfect stranger, and that's okay, too. I stalk so many stranger's blogs that I feel like I know them!)  So I can't wait to make this announcement of something very special that we've brought into the world (besides our precious children.)

For the past few years, James has worked with a small team (including me) to develop a free mobile app called idearoam. And when I say "we", I literally mean with our own minds and hands.  James had an idea, James brought together a few friends who all brought a unique gift to the table (design skills, technical skills, marketing skills, financial know-how, etc), and then they worked tirelessly over days, nights and weekends to bring an idea into a full-blown, highly functional yet simple app.  One that I honestly think anyone and everyone will love to use.  I can't even begin to say how proud I am !!

So what is the app?  Idearoam was created out of frustrations with different social media without one single place to go to for advice, suggestions, to provide feedback, etc. While FB certainly provides a platform to ask questions and get advice (I see my friends asks things all the time - where should I go to dinner?  what curtains would you put in this space?  has anyone been to the caribbean and have suggestions? etc etc), things get cluttered and lost very easily. I'm in lots of groups where the same questions (usually around "how do I potty train my child" or "how do I get my child to sleep") are asked a hundred times. Then I can't find a post once I need it. And you can't Pin to Pinterest! Not to mention that my Facebook feed has become so crowded that I don't even see what I want to see on Facebook (family updates, baby pictures, and what my high school friends look like as we approach our mid-30s.)  Or I miss out on radical political statements that I so love! (sarcasm…)

Yelp, Google, etc. are other viable sites to get suggestions, but it is hard to tell what is promoted and what is actually genuine. And the folks giving the advice are not my friends or people I know and trust.   I'm basically trying to decide if I should listen to "catlover831" who suggests one thing or another about how I raise my child.  

The goal with idearoam is to give you a single app to do all of your ‘crowdsourcing’, with as many or as few people as you’d like. You can ask questions to your specific network, join public groups to read ideas, create private groups of family or friends for a specific topic (vacation spots, gift ideas, etc.) Then, whenever you need it, your activity in the app is easily stored and searched on your own profile tab – taking only seconds to find a past post you liked, or something you commented on a year ago.  

During the testing phase over the past few months, I became quite addicted to the app.  I found myself scrolling through roams, pinning ideas I found good, and checking it as often as I would my Instagram or Facebook.  How cool would it be for this to take off?

So I'm coming to everyone with a request:  first and foremost, I would love it if you'd download the app and try it yourself.  It takes seconds to download and it's free!  Once you are in, you can find your Facebook friends or phone contacts that are already in the app. Or look me and James up and follow us.

Then, if you love it and are willing to do so, SHARE the app with your friends, family, and anyone that you know.  Invite them to join through the app, tell them about it over coffee, "like" and share the idearoam Facebook page with your FB friends, put a link on your FB page on in your personal blog.  (If you ever want info or language to do this, just send a note my way and I'd be happy to provide!)  Provide a solid rating and comment in the App store.

Y'all, this has been a journey. James jokes that when someone says "how hard can it be to build an app" he has a non-PG response for them.  But, what an EXCITING one it has been.  And I can't wait to see what's the come.   

To download on iOS:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id999563184

To download on Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.idearoam.mobile