A innovative new application named Slingshot is blending the serendipitous nature of BeReal snapshots with the friend-centric photo-sharing concept popularized by apps such as Snapchat. However, Slingshot sets itself apart with its distinctive interaction method. True to its name, you initiate the app’s camera by pulling down on the screen, emulating the action of pulling back on a slingshot. Then, upon release, accompanied by a satisfying haptic feedback, your candid photo soars off the screen, propelling towards your friends’ app as a bouncing bubble.
This unique interaction adds a fresh, novel dimension to the experience, offering Slingshot users a touch of that dopamine rush often felt in other apps when refreshing the feed to discover new content. In this case, though, your slingshot photo is sent into the world, with hopes of receiving one in return from your friends.
Slingshot’s creator, Tommy Searle, initially embarked on his app development journey after graduating from the University of Michigan. Together with friends, he crafted a mindfulness journaling app called Wellnest, which debuted in the App Store in January 2021. Following that, the team secured pre-seed funding to support their endeavors. However, after six months of selling Wellnest licenses to various universities, the team decided to shift their focus towards a more consumer-oriented direction.
Over the past two and a half years, the team has introduced five distinct consumer apps, including Sideline (a Reddit client) and Cutouts (a popular iMessage extension for taking photos and facial reactions). Despite the opportunity to secure additional funding for Cutouts, Searle opted against it, citing doubts about its potential to become a substantial business. Instead, he continued to utilize pre-seed funds to develop apps that foster social connections and introduce fresh mediums for smartphone-based interaction.
This journey led to the creation of Slingshot, a straightforward yet well-crafted consumer social app designed to streamline the onboarding process. Users validate their phone number and grant the app necessary permissions for camera access and notifications. Notably, the app hashes phone numbers for privacy, comparing only hashes to match users with friends.
After completing the setup, users can easily add friends and start “slingshotting” photos at their convenience. Unlike BeReal, there are no push notification reminders prompting users to post at specific times.
The app’s camera functionality is refreshingly straightforward: pull back on the screen and release to snap a picture and send it flying. Searle’s inspiration for this unique interface was a relatively recent development, conceived only six weeks prior to the app’s creation. It combines elements of BeReal, Snapchat, and Cutouts, featuring circular images and an instant sharing experience.
The playful nature of Slingshot extends to recipients as well. When receiving slingshot photos, tiny balls (or marbles) bounce across the screen and settle in a pile. Tapping on them reveals the photo briefly before it disappears, without an option for repeat viewing.
In Slingshot, users can choose to send their slingshot photos to “everyone” by default or select specific friends from their list. The current App Store release serves as a beta version, with Searle planning further development. Ideas under consideration include the ability to sling videos or text messages. Despite similarities to other apps, Searle believes Slingshot’s focus on capturing moments as they happen, without time constraints, will appeal to high school and college students. Moreover, Slingshot offers faster sharing compared to Snapchat.
Should the app gain traction, potential monetization avenues include paid upgrades, allowing users to prioritize their closest friends by featuring them prominently in the app’s carousel.
Wellnest previously secured $750,000 in funding from the Progression Fund, featuring several former TikTok executives and notable angels such as Austin Rief from Morning Brew and Turner Novak. As the sole founder now, Slingshot was developed in collaboration with founding engineer Sakun Acharige.
Currently available exclusively on iOS as a free download, an Android version is contingent on the app’s success.
