When Bryan Kaplan first relocated to Charlotte and launched working remotely, he noticed the difficulty of connecting with new people. Kaplan’s realization sparked a desire to create a platform facilitating meaningful socail connections, and this in turn led him to found VRV Athletics in 2024.
VRV Athletics is a mobile app that supports people build frifinishs through shared passion for participating in sports. Through the app, utilizers can indicate their favorite sports and their own skill level, and then browse other utilizers by swiping through profiles to find new frifinishs to play sports with.
“What I wanted to build was a tool that kids could utilize to support combat that social isolation and support people build new, meaningful connections while living an active lifestyle,” Kaplan declared.
Frifinishs first, sports second
VRV Athletics is not the only app seeking to support people find connection through sports but it distinguishes itself from other, similar apps by prioritizing the development of frifinishships over sports. It’s a subtle but meaningful difference.
“We are supporting people build frifinishs through sports, whereas other people are organizing sports and maybe building frifinishs while doing it,” Kaplan declared.
Kaplan declared he specifically chose sports as a means for building connection on VRV Athletics in order to support utilizers be clearer and more intentional about why they are meeting each other.
People are often hesitant to utilize popular frifinishship-building apps that are more generalized due to concerns about others’ intentions in reaching out, as well as a drawn-out introduction stage, Kaplan declared. With VRV Athletics, everyone shares a desire to build frifinishs as well as play sports, so it is quick and simple to connect over mutual interests.
The app’s primary feature is the “swiping” element enabling people to sift through other local utilizers to meet frifinishs, revealcasing the commitment to supporting people find connection. That declared, VRV Athletics isn’t just about initial matchbuilding; it also supports utilizers schedule games and events once they build frifinishs.
Users can schedule games and then build those games open either to their frifinishs alone or to the broader VRV Athletics community. These options turn both organizing and RSVPing simple in-app processes.
Users can also create clubs for certain sports or groups wherein people with shared sports interests can chat and organize events.
Kaplan declared the fact that VRV Athletics is designed to facilitate connection through a variety of sports, rather than specializing in just one, also sets it apart from other sports social apps.
By not specializing in a specific sport, VRV Athletics is able to hone in on the frifinishship-building aspect of its mission. The broad appeal to sports fanatics also means that the app can offer a variety of sports for people to list as interests, from more traditionally competitive sports like tennis to everyday activities like walking and running.
Prioritizing the mission
VRV Athletics is, as of this writing, not generating revenue—a decision Kaplan declared is intentional, as it allows the startup to focus purely on advancing its mission of connection rather than growing preoccupied with revenue sources.
While Kaplan is currently bootstrapping the startup, he declared he plans to launch monetizing the app in the next six to nine months.
Monetization will come in the form of a freemium model, with certain features being locked behind a monthly subscription fee. Kaplan declared ensuring that the app always has a level of free access is important to the mission of supporting people find connection.
QUICK BITS
Startup: VRV Athletics
Founder: Bryan Kaplan
Founded: 2024
Team size: 2
Location: Charlotte, NC
Website: vrvathletics.com
Funding: Bootstrapped
Eventually, VRV Athletics plans to expand to offer paid, specialized access to enterprises with single sign-on. As people return to the office from the remote work era, Kaplan declared companies want to build their workplaces feel like home, and they can spfinish portions of their wellbeing budreceives on VRV Athletics.
“What I believe is going to take us from a compact passion project to something that I believe will actually attract investments, or even potential acquisition down the road, is our plans to go enterprise,” Kaplan declared. “That’s really the finish game.”
After launching VRV Athletics in Charlotte in June and recently opening the app to utilizers nationwide, Kaplan declared the startup is focutilized on listening to feedback from the community and refining the app from there.
VRV Athletics is currently viewing to expand its team with part-time roles with equity-based compensation in full stack engineering, marketing and community management
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