OKCupid, a free online dating site, found that users were not only interested in creating and taking its tests to establish their compatibility with others. They were also using them for a range of plutonic purposes out of general curiosity about themselves and how they compared to friends. So the site spun off a new web property called HelloQuizzy that serves as both a destination for user generated quizzes, and an engine for 3rd-party websites to integrate quizzes into their own services. OKCupid Co-Founder Sam Yagan explains that HelloQuizzy is meant bring a whole new level of functionality to the quizzes you’ll find on sites like Quizilla, Quiz Farm, and Tickle (recently deadpooled). For example, quizzes can include rich media like YouTube videos and results are displayed through informative graphs. Like CrazyBlindDate, another OKCupid spinoff for setting up blind dates, HelloQuizzy retains OKCupid’s playful design and character. It also shares the same business model: driving traffic back to OKCupid. When HelloQuizzy users sign up and take tests, the site learns more about them (the sign up process even bluntly asks whether they’re single). This gives HelloQuizzy the opportunity later to suggest how OKCupid might help them find love or lust. → Read More
Y Combinator startup MightyQuiz just launched with the intent of bringing user generated content to quizzes. The concept is straightforward: users can write their own quiz questions on any topic (e.g. “Aside from English, what is the second official language in New Zealand?” Answer: “Maori”). These are then categorized, answered, rated, and commented on by other users, who can pass time by going through them one after another. The creators have implemented all of the social features we’ve come to expect from Web 2.0: user profiles, top contributor lists, most popular quiz questions, and widgets. We’re told that one potential monetization strategy will come from white labeling the service for use on traditional media sites that need ways to engage users. For example, Rolling Stone could encourage their online readers to contribute questions about the history of music. While the service is mainly for entertainment in its current form, it could also be tailored for educational purposes. The topics of history and science are two natural fits for a tool like this. As apparently is Seinfeld (see pic). CrunchBase Information MightyQuiz Y Combinator Information provided by CrunchBase → Read More