Local entrepreneurs introduce Neuwly – a new app to explore the world and events through live-streaming

The updated iteration of Neuwly, actually provides opportunities for COVID-restricted individuals to attend events and learning opportunities or experience far-off locales, without leaving their home, as well as sharing their own experiences

Neuwly cofounder, Steven Christensen, explains the new app he and his partner came up with is built on experiences, events and talents and the sharing of those experiences

“The concept stems from a belief that my co-founder and I have, that when people travel – experience the world, different cultures and different ways of life, they become better humans, because they’re able to see how people live and do things, see how cultures exist and it’s one of the most amazing things we get to experience as humans.“

“The problem that we all experience, is that the world is not as accessible as many of us would like, whether that’s from COVID, financial obligations, physical limitations or life in general – we just don`t all have the opportunity to see the world like we wish we could. So, with Neuwly, we`re helping people explore the world and culture by way of live-streaming video. We`ve created a beautiful way for people to become guides, to explore the world and take others with them, even though the ‘others’ aren’t physically there.”

Putting it in a nut-shell, the Neuwly app allows you to experience world locations and a variety of events without leaving home and it gives you the opportunity to act as a guide for others, during your own experience.

Christensen says the app actually launched in late summer.

“We had to start from scratch – throw everything out – so the new project took a lot longer than we thought, but it`s now live and we`re working hard to make it grow. We launched a beta version after eight months and it took about 12 months to actually get something we were really proud of and that we could start pushing, which began September.“

At this point, Neuwly is a two person company, Steve and his co-founder Greg Stonehocker, work together and hire technical help to fill-in the blanks. Those who are interested can find the app on-line and on any social media platform that you use, Facebook. Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok, and at the website, Neuwly.com. At the IOS store, people can download the app and use it there.

Neuwly co-founders – Steve Christensen (L) and Greg Stonehocker

As for the premise behind Neuwly, Christensen elaborates.

“When we launched Neuwly (the newest version), because it was live streaming video, all of a sudden the world was kind of our oyster – we had the opportunity to say – `hey, if you`re a guide anywhere in the world, you can list us on the platform, and if you`re a user anywhere in the world, you can just buy it and experience it.”

“We`ve been super fortunate to have tours done in Scotland, Netherlands, Italy, upcoming in Russia, and of course in the U.S. and Canada – all over the world really – so it`s amazing now that we have live streaming that we can kinda teleport any time, anywhere with anyone and experience the world through our phones at the moment.”

Christensen enthusiastically says they love where they started and they hope its something people are going to use both on the guide side and the viewer side, everywhere in the world.

LNN asked him if there was an opportunity to collaborate with tourist companies and tour guides.

“We have reached out and there are so many great opportunities for collaboration. Ultimately, it came down to the tourism world wants something like this, so that`s where our focus is 100-per cent. Now that we know exactly who our customer is, we have a great product-market fit and we’re able to just hone-in. Amazingly, we will reach out to guides and have conversations with between one and three every single day.”

“The app is still in its infancy but the feedback we`re getting is amazing – guides, specifically, will say they love this concept because they want to be in charge of their own destiny.

Neuwly responses — submitted by Neuwly

There are other platforms out there where somebody may be able to experience the world through live streaming video, but the tools, such as charging or earning money isn’t presented the way we have done it. On this platform, they are the guides to their own universe – they can list events for free, they can list events for money, they can build up their following on Neuwly and they can get followers – or as we call it, “build their herd” – and allow them to list a new event, to give a shout out to people who follow them, or as part of the herd, they can see the experiences of others.”

Christensen says they’ve already received overwhelmingly positive feedback, as many people would love to see an event, an experience or a location, before they determine if it’s what they really want to take part in and shell out hard-earned money for.

“If you think about taking a trip, and you only have a week, that time is valuable, so going in blind to a real-life experience might not be appealing to everyone – they’re looking for a recommendation or the view of an experience in the virtual world, to say ‘I really liked that guide, I liked their personality and it seems to fit with me, so I`m going to book with that person, because I already know what I can expect.”

Christensen noted that everyone who uses the platform right now is a private individual, but it`s also open for companies. Everything is live streamed, so people can`t simply record something and upload it to Neuwly. You have to go live and you have to use our app to do it, which makes it authentic – you can have a conversation with the guide while you`re going through his or her tour.

Neuwly experiences – provided by Neuwly

“We recently did a tour of the Colosseum with a customer who was walking and talking, people were asking her questions and we also have a feature where you can raise your hand and they can invite your audio to ask questions and then they can hang up and continue their tour – it’s that relationship where you build a human-to-human experience and get real-time feedback – that`s what people love about Neuwly.”

At the moment, there won`t be an opportunity for Neuwly users to go back and play previous excursions, but Christensen’s team is working to develop that feature and they hope to have it in the near future.

How do they monetize the app?

“Currently, we get a commission for every booking that takes place. So anytime someone books on our platform, we get a small commission and our guide receives 80% of the booking. But, we have other avenues to earn commissions and that will come along as the app grows and we determine what is most helpful for our followers.”

Steve says Neuwly is so special to him because he believes that people who see the world and other cultures and meet new people experience personal growth in their own lives.

“I love what we`re building, and there are so many people out there who work for tour companies and get such a small sliver of the whole pie. I experienced it in Mexico about three years ago – we went on a tour with some people who took us snorkeling – it was so much fun and it cost us about $170 each, but tour guides got $5 of that, for the whole day — the cruise ship pockets the rest. I`m very passionate about people exploring and these guides getting the chance to market themselves and earn money themselves, can change the industry and change peoples lives on both sides.”

“Users being able to discover experiences in better ways, while contributing to the livelihood of local guides in economically strained locales. That’s a huge bonus!”

by Dori Modney

Local entrepreneurs introduce Neuwly – a new app to explore the world and events through live-streaming

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