As the domain states, followshows.com’s purpose it to allow you to keep track of the shows you watch. Their tagline is ‘Never miss an episode again,’ and with the ability to get notifications via the website, email, and RSS or add the new episode schedule to Google calendar, it’s your fault if you do miss an episode. The site also provides links to legal means of watching an episode (Amazon, the network’s website, and Netflix) and if you’re looking for a new show to watch, they also provide recommendations that are pretty spot-on.
While tracking shows is not a new concept, the FollowShows interface has made the whole process elegant, seamless, and easy-to-use. According to cofounder Dan Blake, users seem to agree. There have been “ten thousands registrations per day,” according to Blake. We interviewed Blake about the site, its features, and the social TV issues it seeks to correct.
Lost Remote: Why did you launch?
Dan Blake: There were already sites to track shows, but most were pretty bad in UI and were trying to do to many things at once
LR: What does it do?
Blake: Right now we are focused on intention based activities, specifically reminding people to watch when their shows are on, as well as providing links to watch said content (all legal). We are also putting significant time into our social network aspect, to give you accurate recommendations as well as let you follow your friends
LR: What social TV problem does it solve/help?
Blake: I would say information overload at this point. I frequently see cool trailers and the ability to remind myself to watch later on is super helpful. Also, with many series the episodes are sporadically timed (the office for instance) and we help you know when to expect the next episode.
LR: What’s your background?
Blake: Its 2 founders right now: myself and Guillume Carre. Guillaume has been programming for 12 years and is a expert in what he does. He is the only developer currently (I don’t program) so it’s pretty amazing he has gotten as much done as there is. I have been founding/involved in startups since 2007. This is my first foray into social TV and even though the space is crowded, I think that good UI/UX will allow us to remain a contender.