The problem with successful companies is that they often lose the
connection they once had with their initial constituents or customers.
However popular, LinkedIn - a place to make connections, mainly for
jobs - seems to have lost that personal touch when it comes to finding
work.
By comparison, not-even-one-year-old Doostang (whose video pitch is embedded in this post) has created
a personal, exclusive forum to more effectively find a job. It appears
that Mareza Larizadeh and Pavel Krapivin, founders of Doostang, are on
the path to providing an innovative tool for all those seeking
meaningful careers.
Larizadeh and Krapivin are MIT and Stanford graduates
pushing the limits of social networking and career advancement. The
site is geared toward all individuals in quest of career advancement,
and even those at critical junctures in their profession. The user
base of Doostang has gradually grown since its launch in August 2007,
and has aleady received Series A funding through Shasta Ventures in
September 2007 for $3.5 million dollars.
So, is there hype
around Doostang? Or, is there substance behind this company? Social
networking has been the fuss over the past couple of years. Since the
day News Corp paid the handsome amount of $580 million for
Myspace.com,
the buzz has yet to settle. Now with Facebook eyed as the next big
social networking site, companies are itching at a chance to get a
piece of the pie.
Doostang unlike other social networking
site’s, truly sticks to the idea of networking. The platform allows
users to share vital information about careers and even offers a
helping hand for those just entering the game. It simplifies the
complexities of everyday job hunting in a “networking” kind of way.
Since Doostang is an invitation only website, it sticks to the roots of
true networking, connecting others through immediate personal contacts.
The growth of Doostang relies heavily on members inviting others to
join the network.
In doing
so, Doostang solidifies the worthiness of its user base by ensuring
that every user has the faith of at least one trusted member. Its main
focus is restructuring quality vs. quantity ratios in the job market.
Ironically, as the community has grown over the past year, the quantity
of qualified users has grown. Doostang believes in collaboration,
sharing information, and networking for your career.
So, when all else fails in your frantic search for a job that you’ve dreamed of, "Do the Dew," or should I say do the DOO!
Steven Loeb