Entrepreneurs are in the business of problem solving. Those who are successful in their career are those who solve the problems found in the business world, our daily life, or society.
In this Q&A, we talk with Gordon Mangione, Tipbit CEO and former Microsoft Exchange Server executive, on how to solve one of the biggest problems face by nearly every business people, namely business information management. We also cover the latest integration of Tipbit with Box – an excellent strategic move.
Ivan Widjaya (Q): I think Tipbit is awesome. For our readers who haven’t heard about your app, please explain about it and what it can offer users.
Gordon Mangione (A): Tipbit is the only iPhone app that aggregates users’ desired contact, calendar, web, email and social information into one searchable location. The app enables customers to access information when they need it and in the context of what they’re doing. We provide the full power and fluidity of a desktop experience on an iPhone without the hassle of switching between multiple apps.
Q: I have dozens of email address, mostly on my own domain names. What’s the best practice for me and those who have similar problem as I do? How can I use Tipbit to solve my overwhelming email problems?
A: Every email holds key information we need in our day-to-day lives. While mobile devices allow access to all of these emails, it can be impossible to keep track of where information sits across apps and web browsers. Tipbit allows integration between all of these emails into one searchable space. This empowers our customers to search for key client information, or an online coupon to a favorite store. Customers can rapidly find the information they need without leaving our app.
Q: You’ve just announced the integration with Box – I think that this is an excellent strategic move. Can you explain a bit more about the integration?
A: Prior to our announcement, Tipbit already allowed Box customers to save any email or attachment directly into Box. Without leaving Tipbit, customers can utilize the power of Box while using their favorite email client to quickly respond to any email request.
With this new Box integration, Tipbit now includes a preview of our enhanced email sending capability. This capability unlocks a number of highly requested features, including attaching and sending documents in any mail from Box, Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, or any other registered document provider.
This is just the beginning! This next phase of the integration will allow customers to easily surface all relevant documents mentioning or shared by a contact, in Box — no need to flip through apps.
Q: Tipbit has already integrated with popular social sites and services. Will Tipbit integrate with IFTTT?
A: We are constantly evaluating the next set of services to incorporate into Tipbit. Ultimately our customers drive our product roadmap. IFTTT has built an incredible service to help customers automate and integrate common tasks. Many of our customers already use IFTTT today in conjunction with Tipbit. As our roadmap evolves, we can look to integrate further with services like IFTTT.
Q: Will Tipbit add in-app video feature like Periscope to Twitter? Any future plans to share with our readers?
A: At the moment, we have integrated one-tap away Google searches into the app. If a Periscope or YouTube video is searchable, we can play it within the app.
Q: Last question: Any tips to share with our readers on how to build a one-of-a-kind app like Tipbit?
A: Developing has always been about solving a real world customer need. We started Tipbit to solve the problem of not truly having a complete email and office experience on mobile. I would encourage anyone looking to build an app to establish a real need within the technology community and work backwards from there.
Many thanks, Gordon, for sharing your tips!