What is iYosh?

It's been reported that iYosh is a tool that allows you to record your purchasing history and share with friends. In reality it is so much more than that. I had the original idea in 2004. Like most people with the internet I shopped online... a lot! I realised quickly that I bought either one of two ways. The first was meeting friends, talking about new products they'd bought or seen. I would think 'that sounds quite good' and would rush off to buy it on the internet. The second way would be that I wanted something like a new mobile phone. I would sit for hours reading countless reviews, opinions, product specs. I would think I had found the one for me only to go and tell my friends. "No, you don't want that one" they would say. "My cousin has it and it keeps crashing". They would then show me what they had and tell me why it would suit me better. Sometimes they would even send me links by email where they had found a great contract offer.

It was here that I realised that this process could be made so much easier. What if I could compile a database of every product or service my friends had ever bought. What if I could use it any time I wanted to find out what they really thought about it and if they recommended it to me. They know me more than anyone and they know what I like. Maybe I could even use it as a way to allow them to come into the shopping experience with me... like high street shopping with friends, but in a virtual way.

So thats how all these ideas turned into iYosh.

But how does it keep track of what my friends are buying? Well, I've developed a web application that you simply download and install in your web browser. Every time you buy something online you can tell the programme to record it. It saves all the crucial data: Product name, ID, store name, price, voucher codes you used. You can even choose to group your purchases together on your iYosh profile... one feed for new Xbox games, another for all your shoes, maybe another to record all your new buys for an upcoming holiday. You can add to your product history at any time... photo's, video, reviews, tips etc... Your friends can post their comments or maybe even recommend items you hadn't even though of.
Then when one of your friends is looking for a new item (a mobile phone), they simply type it in our search engine and they are presented with all the phone reviews made by their friends. It's quick, easy and above all... based on the trust.

Of course it does a lot of other cool things too... but thats for later! I have been working with several top e-tailers to develop an e-tailers application. This will be something that interacts with your own consumer app, providing you with lots of money saving offers as you shop.

I currently have a prototype of the consumer application. I'm currently going through the process of securing equity investment. Hopefully the competition will allow me to meet some fantastic people who will help me to do this.

I will keep you all posted as we develop.

Oh and I keep getting asked what iYosh means. Well the urban dictionary meaning is 'derived from a Japanese word meaning an enthusiastic affirmative'. For some reason my friends use it all the time when they get excited about something. So thats where it came from.

Emma.