Cell phones can be a huge distraction, especially in university classes.
Pocket Points, a new app circling the campus, is designed as an incentive for students to lock their phone in class and pay attention, rewarding time spent off the phone with points that can be used at various local and online retailers.
The app, created by Mitch Gardner and Rob Richardson at California State University, Chico, began as an idea to fight young adults‘ obsession with technology.
“We were both students and saw that there was an obvious problem of people being on their cell phones and not paying attention in class,” Gardner said. “We were trying to come up with ways to at least mitigate that problem, and the best solution we had was Pocket Points.”
The app first launched at Chico State in the fall of 2014. Penn State was the second launch, gaining momentum quickly with 40 percent of the campus on the app within a few weeks.
As a junior and sophomore, Gardner and Richardson struck technology gold, having since taken breaks from school to pursue success for the company.
“The moment I really had faith in this was when I was going around signing up businesses that summer,” Gardner said. “There was one business I signed and they were offering awesome deals for the students. I called Rob right after the meeting and was like, ‘Dude, this is gonna be huge.’”
The launch at Auburn hits close to home for Gardner; his younger brother, Luke Gardner, is currently a sophomore at the university.
“I was looking at who was using the discounts [in Auburn] and we saw my brother’s name come up,” Gardner said. “He went to Cheeburger Cheeburger.”
AJ D’Antonio, an Auburn campus representative for Pocket Points, said roughly 2,000 students have gotten the app in the past two weeks.
“My favorite thing about the app is the leader board,” D’Antonio said. “I am very competitive and love to challenge myself to stay off my phone in class and earn enough points to stay at the top of the board.”
The app currently partners with local businesses Anders Bookstore, Ellie Boutique, Marble Slab Creamery, NK a Boho Boutique, Palm Beach Tan, Philly Connection, Pieology, Smooth-n-Groove, The Pink Room Boutique, and Waffle House. Points can also be redeemed for online businesses such as Frankies Bikinis and Cabana Bro Shorts.
Pocket Points is constantly adding new businesses to their range of partners. They recently finished a deal with Panda Express and are working on adding the restaurant's locations. There is also an option to suggest new businesses in the app’s menu.
The app has reached incredible success after almost literally bursting into flames before the official launch.
In the early stages of production, the fraternity house at which Gardner and Richardson lived suddenly caught on fire.
“I go into my room and I’m going to sleep, and out of nowhere I hear pounding on my door yelling ‘Get up, the house is on fire!’” Gardner said. “So I ran outside and the house is in legitimate flames. I ducked back into the house and grabbed all of the Pocket Points marketing material, stickers and posters, making sure that it was all safe.”
Luckily, the app eventually made it to the official launch injury-free.
“It was one of those ‘If there’s a fire, what do you save first?’ moments,” Gardner said. “It was pretty wild. We laugh at it now.”
The business owners credit their success to the mentors and advisors they sought out from the beginning. Gardner’s advice to anyone trying to reach a goal is to find people who genuinely want to help; most will understand because at one point in their life, they have been in the same position.
“I think that if anyone tries to start a company, they need to make sure to surround themselves with really good people,” Gardner said. “That’s what will really make your company great: the great people.”
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