Laura Fitton’s ascent has been staggering: In less than a year, she’s become mayor of nine different places in several different states, all without giving any speeches.
Instead, Fitton has gone out. And that’s allowed her to build an empire in the world of a rapidly growing internet startup called Foursquare, which rewards users with points and virtual "mayorships" for checking in on their cellphones when they’re out and about.
Foursquare is the brainchild of Dennis Crowley, 33, and Naveen Selvadurai, 27. Released in March, Foursquare lets you share your whereabouts with friends, no matter if you’re at a hot bar or a neighborhood pet store. Once you’ve checked in somewhere — through Foursquare’s website or its applications for iPhone or Android phones — your friends can see where you are and decide whether to meet up with you.
If you want to check in on an iPhone, for example, you’d see a main tab showing your favorite and nearby businesses, and another tab showing where your friends have recently checked in. You can search for venues, leave tips for other users about things they might want to try at a bar or restaurant, or send a "shout" — a message that goes to all your friends.
What’s different about Foursquare is that it includes a reward system — you get five points for checking in somewhere for the first time, for example, and if you visit a place three times in a week you’ll earn a badge. Check in a place more than others do and Foursquare will dub you the mayor.
Since Foursquare launched in April, it has gained more than 100,000 users and added more than 100 cities around the world to its roster. New York has the most Foursquare users, followed by San Francisco.