Meet Valentinos Tzekaz is an 18-year old entrepreneur who thinks that startups and young guys like him can help Greece's economy recover.
Tzezkas created an Android mobile social app called "Near - Check Who's Nearby," which is similar to Foursquare. To be specific, the app has a map that checks who is near you within a two-mile radius without the use of Facebook check-ins, texting and calling friends to know where they are.
In a report by Forbes, he got the idea for the app last summer when he and his friends went to the coast, traveled by train and chose which beach bar they can hang out in.
Tzezkaz said, "We tried making phone calls, sending messages and looked frantically for check ins on Facebook, to see which of our friends were in each bar, in order to make the best decision. "
He added that, "It was at that moment I realised the solution was to have all of this information directly on our phones."
The young entrepreneur described himself as a "one man army" due to the fact that he created the app alone. He dedicated himself into turning his idea into a reality by working from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
In that time span, he spends his day by coding, designing, researching and marketing "Near - Check Who's Nearby."
Tzezkaz said, "It was crazy and creative at the same time, but I regret nothing at all. I did it all using my own money -- I sold the entire contents of my room -- which I see as an investment."
Greek Reporter also noted that another reason Tzezkaz invented the app is because he thinks that his age bracket are usually online when they go out. With that, the app makes it easy for them to find each other.
To make it work, a user can create a profile on the app and then locate other users who are close to them. The app's features include other functions such as winks and hearts, which indicate the level of "likeness" toward the person nearby.
And it seems the app is an apparent success because, according to CEO World, his app had over 80,000 unique visitors.
He further said that for every day that passes, his app is receiving over 9,000 unique visitors daily and the whole country of Greece is talking about "Near - Find Who's Nearby."
Tzezkaz feels happy and accomplished for what he has created so far, he goes on to say that, "The impact that I've made on Greece, is priceless!"
