Somewhere is a brand new social network that allows you to show off your work and build a visual portfolio to stand out from the rest. I had a chance to talk with Peter Sorgenfrei, the CEO of this growing social network and learn more about what they’re doing at Somewhere to prepare us for the “future of work.”
In the interview we discussed about how Somewhere differentiate from other sites such as LinkedIn and how the network helps job-hunters to share their work and companies to hire the right employees.
Peter Sorgenfrei hard at work. (Photo credit: Duncan Gough)
Somewhere is still in invite-only beta and will open to public soon. Read along to learn more and for a link to get instant access to the network.
Q- Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at Somewhere?
Danish by heritage I have lived in Austria, France and for the past 14 years in New York in the United States. In July 2013 I moved to London and joined Somewhere in 2014 to head of the team as CEO.
Q- Freelancing is a growing trend these days. How does Somewhere help the community of Freelancers?
When we started the business, many of our early users were freelancers who saw that sharing what they do and how they do it would help them get more clients. Several of them also started collaborating and formed friendships.
Q- How many users are there in Somewhere right now?
We are currently in beta with 15,000 users from around the world
Q- LinkedIn, Sumry, About.me, all these startups shares the same goal of providing people with an online resume. How does Somewhere differentiate from those services?
We are not an online listing of your skills, but rather a conversation about what you do and how you do it. In that way we cover the stuff between the lines that helps people and companies figure out if they are a good fit for each other.
Q- Somewhere allows users to visually showcase their work. Do you think it’s enough to convince someone to ditch their PDF Resume/ CV file and join the digital world?
Probably not yet, the world still very much is in the habit of reading resumes, or scanning resumes really, nothing gets read anymore. What we have heard from companies is that the Somewhere content enables them to know people better before they meet and so improves the efficiency of interviewing and hiring.
Q- How do companies respond to Somewhere and how does it help them?
Almost everyone we show Somewhere to loves the platform and the insights it gives about people as professional human beings. It helps them save money on employer branding and hiring and it makes them look good when they find talent faster, and talent that works well within their organizations. They are avoiding to hire the wrong person
Q- How do you plan on growing Somewhere?
We are lucky in that we have a very vocal community that shares what we do and so we grow that way. We also grow with companies as they get all their employees on board.
Q- Can we expect to see any new features in the future?
We are building new stuff everyday. There is a variety of tools and features coming for companies and for individuals.
Q- When will you launch the service to public?
Probably sometime this year. In the meantime your readers go here to get immediate access
Q- As a CEO of a growing startup, what advice can you give to newcomer entrepreneurs?
Keep at it, it is a long winding road with many many obstacles. Your first idea is not your best, so keep improving and you will eventually succeed.
Q- In conclusion, would you like to add something?
Reach me directly @psorgenfrei on twitter or tweet the team @somewhere
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