Which startup is going to be the next big thing? Investors, bloggers, job seekers, and inspiring entrepreneurs everywhere are dying to know. Hundreds of startups enter private beta each month, and that’s far too many for any one person to keep up with. Fret not! Each week, I share one of the hottest new startups in this column, Best In Beta. Let’s discover the next big thing together!
I’m aware that IfWeather cracks the Best In Beta club this week based on very few details given on the website. My hope is that – like the sudden appearance of a cloud in the sky that grows into a powerful storm – the blips that IfWeather offers reveal major news to come.
Plus, in case it’s not painfully obvious already, I’m a bit of a weather junkie.
IfWeather is an app for creating custom weather alerts. Users lock in all the weather conditions that they’re concerned about, and, when the weather forecasts supply the right triggers, IfWeather sends an alert. Receive as many alerts as you care to as often as you like.
I can hear some skeptics grumbling about already having the Weather Channel app. I wouldn’t suggest dispensing with that beautiful app, which is loaded with gorgeous features. What intrigues me about adding IfWeather into the arsenal is the possibility of accounting for more than local forecasts…
My family continues to spread across the globe. I can’t keep up with the forecasts where each member lives, but naturally I really want to know what’s going on around them. With IfWeather, I might set up alerts for bad weather in multiple locations, saving me a lot of time and worry.
If I could, I would know about dramatic weather happening around the globe all the time. Are you up for the challenge, IfWeather?
I check the forecast a lot. A LOT. I grew up in the Midwest, where you learn to prepare for experiencing multiple seasons throughout the course of a single day – if not one afternoon or an hour. Less OCD people, most people, aren’t programmed to check the weather so often, but it sure would come in handy to be notified of abrupt changes without any added effort.
For the sake of limited space, I’ll forgo calling out the delusional people who refuse to acknowledge climate change and impede civilization from taking necessary actions to address mounting hazards, and I’ll say only this: plan on weather turning crazier and crazier for the foreseeable future, folks. It’s going to take all the tools that we can invent to help us prepare for venturing outside.
Responders to Blizzard Chaos in Missouri
Another aspect about the weather often overlooked is that conditions mean different things for different people. Rain might be a blessing to farmers while a nightmare for campers. IfWeather has the potential to serve the needs of those working in agriculture, outdoor recreation, and other industries by delivering alerts tailored to personal variables.
Hey, the pros get it wrong often enough, so I’m going to go out on a limb and forecast sunny days for IfWeather.
Visit ifweather.com for more information or to sign up as a beta tester. Follow the company on Twitter to stay up on the latest developments.
