Tuofy – The College Network - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

Yes, we have been developing Android apps for the past three years and have been coding for quite sometime.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

We want the app to be resourceful yet simple, so removing all the clutter was very important. Giving users a plethora of options to decide from would have been an option, but optimizing the options has to be the most challenging aspect. We don’t want our users to spend a lot of time on the app, but when they are...they should get the most out of their time.

_{Tushar Kanti Saha & Prasoon Kumar Shandilya}

We are two graduate students who recently moved to Canada. After graduation, we got a lot of help from our alumni: from finding the right graduate school to deciding on the best phone deal in Canada. We decided to extend this help to our juniors. But, connecting to an alumnus who has taken the same career path is difficult at times. With Tuofy we want to connect students with their college mates and alumni so that they can find the right person to seek advice from.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

Google Photos for its auto backup, auto stitching of panorama, and easy photo-search option. Nimses for its amazing concept of converting time to currency and location-based posts/feed. Happily Fit which helps to keep track of exercise routines and calorie consumption. The best part is its suggestion and reminders for food consumption and exercise.

How long have you been working on this app?

We have been working on the app earnestly for two months but most of the features are derived from the apps we developed before. The structure of the app is made flexible, so we can mold it to best cater our users. We are still working to understand our users' needs to provide only relevant content, so that is something that will evolve with time.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

We want to provide our users with the platform to find assistance to build their career after graduation! And, who else can help better than their alumni? Right now, we are focused on students who want to pursue graduate studies but will expand to other career options as well.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

There are a lot of networking apps on the internet, but our app is focused to develop a semi-professional network. Currently, the networks are too professional or for social interactions only. There is no platform which helps transition from a college friend circle into a career development network later on. With this app, we provide a platform for the users to contact their college mates/seniors to find the right career related help. On the feed, the users can post their questions and find answers from people who have been through the same situation. Users can also share their stories/content related to career development, placement opportunities or have discussions on any relevant topics. On the app, students find advice from their alumni and later help their juniors – forming the help cycle. We believe that a small help from the right person can change someone’s life. The most innovative aspect is that the app automatically connects users from the same university and also informs the students of all the paths that their alumni have taken. If you are new on the network then you don’t have to spend time adding connections, we do it for you. Directly approach the person or audience you want to connect to. We are proud of the app’s simplicity in terms of its looks, its usability, and hiding all the complexities of connecting people.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

The future versions will have improved search and feed to help a bigger community. A personal encrypted chat option will also be added soon that will help users connect better.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

We would ask them to get on the app and share it with their college friends and stay connected forever.