Dan Swinimer helped gather a tribe to launch a new app he hopes will disrupt the world of social media and websites where things are bought and sold.
Currently beta-tested for public launch, the platform counts Nickelback singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger among its four 害羞草研究所渇ounders/angels,害羞草研究所� along with Swinimer, his father Bill and fellow Surrey-area musician/construction company boss Felipe Freig.
害羞草研究所淲e set out to try and monetize social media, while making it a safer and more positive experience,害羞草研究所� said Swinimer, who lives in the Clayton area of Surrey. 害羞草研究所淲e felt it unfair that social media users do all the work, provide all the content but make none of the profits.害羞草研究所�
Trybe is based on an award system that sends as little as 10 cents per 害羞草研究所渓ike,害羞草研究所� coupled with a built-in 害羞草研究所渨in-win害羞草研究所� for users, as Swinimer describes it.
害羞草研究所淓very time you award someone else害羞草研究所檚 post, you get exposure for your own post which gives you a better chance of your post being seen and also making money in awards,害羞草研究所� he told the Now-Leader.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 turned into a thing, it really has,害羞草研究所� added the Ontario-raised Swinimer. 害羞草研究所淲e sold shares and raised almost $2 million, we have head offices in Toronto, a CEO (Thomas Jankowski) and staff of 10 coders. It害羞草研究所檚 turned into so much more than we originally conceived.害羞草研究所�
In the late-2000s, Swinimer and Freig were members of the rock band when they met Kroeger, who shared a manager at the time.
(Story continues below video)
Today, Swinimer is a songwriter/producer with his own , and Frieg runs Langley-based .
A couple of years ago, Frieg told Swinimer about an issue involving his teen son, Jadis, who害羞草研究所檇 been posting video of his scooter-riding tricks to social media.
害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 even believe the tricks that this kid can do on the scooter, it害羞草研究所檚 amazing,害羞草研究所� Swinimer said. 害羞草研究所淗is son didn害羞草研究所檛 have any sponsors at that point, but he was spending hours and hours every day practicing, getting really, really good, and then he spent his own money buying all this video equipment and editing software. So he害羞草研究所檇 spend four or five hours a day practicing, learning tricks, videoing them from multiple angles, then he害羞草研究所檇 edit these videos just so that he could post them on social media. And what does he get for that? The 害羞草研究所榣ikes,害羞草研究所� and that害羞草研究所檚 it. He害羞草研究所檇 been doing this for a while, and we realized that with the social media model, everyone is providing the product and getting nothing in return.害羞草研究所�
(Story continues below video)
After Swinimer and Freig talked some more, they clicked on the idea for Trybe as a way to monetize social media.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a platform where if you post something, you have a chance to make money on that post,害羞草研究所� Swinimer elaborated. 害羞草研究所淲hen people post to social media, the most important thing is content, connecting with people and receiving validation from others. So imagine if you mixed in the possibility of making money and also having complete control over how many people will see your posts.害羞草研究所� The more people I reward, the more people will see my posts, and the more chance I have of making money on my posts. If the content is good and views-to-engagement ratio is high, it also drives exposure to the post, so that lights a little fire under the post.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所� RELATED STORY, from May 2020: .
Out of the gate, Kroeger had the level of celebrity pull sought by Swinimer and Freig for Trybe.
害羞草研究所淲e discussed it with Chad and right away, he was excited about it because he could see how it could transform the music business,害羞草研究所� Swinimer recalled. 害羞草研究所淚t could completely disrupt the entire distribution chain, because it害羞草研究所檚 a pain in the ass going through iTunes, which takes a lot of the proceeds. So what about a world where you post new music on Trybe? You give a download code to anyone who rewards this post with a dollar or more, and now you害羞草研究所檙e keeping all the money that comes in.害羞草研究所�
Right now, to get early access to the app, users join a waitlist by downloading the iOS or Android app from .
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Nickelback raved about Trybe害羞草研究所檚 launch to the band害羞草研究所檚 738,000 followers on the rival Twitter platform: 害羞草研究所淣o more giving away your creativity and time to social media giants. The new way 害羞草研究所� Social. Be yourself, be with your people, get rewards. See you on there.害羞草研究所� A day later, for her 21 million followers on Twitter.
Swinimer says Kroeger is 害羞草研究所渧ery involved害羞草研究所� in the project, and likes to be in the meetings when and where he can, including the time when the four Trybe founders flew in Kroeger害羞草研究所檚 private jet to Silicon Valley.
害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 tour with Nickelback (with Jet Black Stare) back then, but toured with a lot of their friends, like 3 Doors Down, Hinder and Staind,害羞草研究所� Swinimer recalled. 害羞草研究所淔or someone of his level of recognition, Chad is very accessible to musicians. He害羞草研究所檚 not hard to find and he害羞草研究所檚 happy to talk to people. One night he took us out to celebrate our record deal when we first signed it, so that was kind of our first foray. He took us out to the Commodore Ballroom because Kid Rock was doing a special invite-only show there. So we害羞草研究所檙e in his little VIP section, and then we went to some penthouse suite afterwards to hang out. It was weird, man, because up to that point it was all independent music, never getting anywhere, and all the sudden we害羞草研究所檙e partying with Kid Rock. It was a wild ride.害羞草研究所�
In the decade since those rock-band days, after Jet Black Stare害羞草研究所檚 record deal with Island Def Jam had collapsed, Swinimer turned his attention to country music and launching the careers of musicians including Madeline Merlo and Jojo Mason. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been living in Surrey for 20 years,害羞草研究所� he noted. 害羞草研究所淚 built my production company here and have written/produced upwards of 40 hit songs since starting.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所� RELATED STORY, from March 2020: .
As for Trybe, the app害羞草研究所檚 public release should be in a month or so, he said.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e using a system where we are making it very exclusive and making people excited about it, excited to get in early. We have multiple celebrities on board to get behind this new idea once we are public. It害羞草研究所檚 very exciting.害羞草研究所�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on
