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Can Portland become the next Yobongo town?

Rick Turoczy on March 7, 2011

One of the biggest gripes about the Portland startup and tech scene is that we’re often overlooked as, well, a startup and tech scene. But more and more, startups and established companies alike are realizing just how cool Portland is. Example? Take Google Hotpot which chose Portland as its first test city.

Now, there’s another hot application—it’s called Yobongo and it’s rumored to be a SXSW breakout app—that’s looking to establish some more outposts besides San Francisco, New York, and Austin. Could Portland be the next Yobongo city?

What is Yobongo? Well, it’s sort of like a localized Twitter. But without following. You just sort of naturally walk into conversations that are happening nearby you. You know, kind of like eavesdropping. Only less creepy.

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Why should you have any interest in this? Well, aside from Portland getting a little well deserved credibility as the de facto hub of mobile developement, Yobongo has another tie to Stumptown. They’re using technology powered by Urban Airship. And according to Dylan Boyd at UA, if we can get 500 people to vote for Portland as a Yobongo city, we’ll be one. Tah dah!

Random conversations and kismet and whatnot in your immediate vicinity await. All it takes is a vote or two. Or 500.

For more information, visit Yobongo. Or vote for Portland as the next Yobongo town.

Published by Rick Turoczy

More than mildly obsessed with the Portland startup community. Founder and editor at Silicon Florist. Cofounder and general manager at PIE. Follow me on Twitter: @turoczy

  1. Jon Mitchell March 9, 2011 at 8:02 am

    I didn’t mean it was ideal for the tech scene. I meant it was ideal for the human beings, Snarky McSnarkypants.

  2. Google March 9, 2011 at 7:33 am

    Errm.. the reason companies like google pick cities like Portland for product pilots is because the city is NOT full of early adopters and no one will notice if the product doesn’t make it. It’s not in the least a compliment to Portland’s tech scene.

  3. Jon Mitchell March 7, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    I voted one hour after Yobongo launch, and I got RT’d by @nnpdx. We can get 500 with ease.

    We so need this app. It’s ideally suited for Portland.

  4. Rick Turoczy March 7, 2011 at 12:11 pm

    PS Plus, I simply get excited about everything. And I love rainbows and unicorns.

  5. Rick Turoczy March 7, 2011 at 12:10 pm

    Or… do iPhone people only want to talk to other iPhone users? Is that a slice of common ground for the conversation?

  6. Aaron Weiss March 7, 2011 at 11:53 am

    Why do we keep getting excited about platform-exclusive apps in this day and age?

    It’s not terribly social if it excludes the vast majority of cell phone subscribers, is it?

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