This is launch day and I'm absolutely thrilled to get it out into the wild! Appreciate any and all feedback! :)
For example, I'm in multiple FB groups for playing pick-up in my area and see apps like Jogabo mentioned every now and then yet it never seems to gain traction and people just resort to posting on FB.
In the past, just like you, we used facebook groups and/or messages/chats back and fourth to friends.
Hopefully the app will be good enough for people to start out with their existing friends and then more and more people nearby will show up.
Because.... what value does it bring for Joe who's living in SF, that Jane from NY wants to go for a work-out? I think "importing" events from other sites is one option to get things going (still - quite a lot of effort). Other idea - is to start locally, run a big ad campaign, get in touch with sport centers, etc, then "conquer" other cities, one by one.
Good luck! :)
It's also hard when you refuse to use black hat and spammy tactics ;) Hopefully you guys won't have to resort to that.
We have moved out of this space with Jogabo (the meetup for sports... Well for us it was for soccer only). We are now focusing on making a social app for players with a twist of discovery. We think it will solve the chicken and egg problem.
We're not giving up, because the situation is just plain lame as it stands now. Facebook, email, whatsapp just doesn't cut it. We're in Lisbon right now and everyone and their mom plays soccer here yet it's still as much of a pain. The only games we've actually played were through local Jogabo users actually! Happy to tell you more if interested. Just ping me on twitter
E.g. we play weekly, organize the event through Facebook for years but still a pain sometimes. Somebody don't RSVP but still show up, so we are odd. Also Facebook events don't make it possible to limit the number of guests. If you make it really easy to use and useful enough such a level that existing private groups will use it (and they stick because it makes their life easier), new people will come.
If anyone in Seattle wants to play some basketball near greenwood / phinney ridge area, I'm hosting at 7pm tonite at the Greenwood Elementary outdoor courts! Event is public on this app.