Sean Parker has had his hits (Napster, getting on the Facebook train early) – and his misses (Airtime, Plaxo, some of his haircuts.) Now he’s backing a new iOS and Android app for sharing political opinions called Brigade.
It’s available to download now but you won’t get past the login screen until the private beta invites go out later in the summer.
The concept is that you’re presented with a newsfeed of topics where you can agree, disagree or declare yourself one of life’s floating voters by opting for ‘unsure.’
Your beliefs are then compared to your friends’ and those of the wider user population so you see how you stack up. It’s a potentially addictive way of getting people to engage with politics. That said, it’s also likely to appeal to those who are already interested.
As you’d expect, the early coverage of Brigade has been pretty frothy. Parker is huge name, but he’s actually the company’s chairman. Matt Mahan is the CEO, having previously led Causes, which Parker co-founded.
Brigade Media acquired Causes last year in a bit of incredibly incestuous Silicon Valley action.
Brigade has arrived at a good time as the 2016 presidential election primary campaigns kick into gear, but Parker’s involvement is no guarantee of success. We’ll have to see how good the app is once it opens its doors.
➤ Brigade [iOS | Android | via The Guardian/TechCrunch]
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