Jordanian entrepreneur seeks to take online social interaction back to basics

AMMAN — Luai Masri, a Jordanian entrepreneur, came up with an idea earlier this year to create an app to make a change in the way people communicate with each other online and offline. 

Now, the project is listed by tech websites as one of the world’s most promising start-ups. 

The application, called Whatshudoin, enables users to share and discover what people are doing along with their mood, location and picture, said Masri, founder and CEO of Whatshudoin Inc.

Whatshudoin seeks to add value for sharing feelings aside from having them lost amongst other posts like links, videos or news headlines as is now the case on other networks, Masri told The Jordan Times in a recent interview. 

By using this app, users will be able to remember how they felt when taking every photo they post as the mood will be stamped on each one they share online, he said. 

“Being able to know how someone is feeling at a specific time of the day is a great tool that can be helpful for people to better connect and plan things together,” the entrepreneur said, adding that the app is free and available for both iPhone and Android mobile devices. 

The idea behind Whatshudoin is not similar to WhatsApps, he noted.

“WhatsApp is all about sharing messages and media with your phone book contacts and friends. But Whatshudoin is all about sharing how you feel, your location and pictures during a certain moment of the day, users can also share their post on other social platforms like Facebook and Twitter with their mood written on their pictures too.”

“We are working hard to add and create more interesting features and enhance the user experience for everyone to enjoy,” he added.

“After much speculation on how to enhance the concept of online social interactions between people, we decided to go back to basics and connect people together based on their daily actions and moods. Everyone is moody and we should start from that,” Masri said. 

Using a simple button, Whatshudoin enables users to send each other mobile notifications asking “Hey, Whatshudoin?” 

Users can connect with new people who feel the same way they do around their location or all over the world. 

Noting that the platform was launched in the first quarter of this year, he said Whatshudoin is a Silicon Valley- and Jordan-based company that promises to change the way users express their feelings online.

Asked about the current value of the company and if acquisition offers by giant tech companies would be considered, Masri replied it is too early to talk about the company’s valuation and acquisition options as focus is now on developing the app further, and adding more features and enhancements to it before thinking of anything else. 

On business achievements, he said Whatshudoin was showcased at Collision Conference in Las Vegas in May and it was also featured on BBC Arabia, and other websites, adding that it was also listed as one of the world’s most promising start-ups at launchingnext.com and on other tech websites like Producthunt.

Masri said Whatshudoin plans to expand teams in the US and abroad to serve its expanding user base.

“With a great team of engineers, designers and marketing professionals, we see a moody future right ahead of us, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for.”