FrugalPanda (‘Groupon’-site-aggregator): What happens when a Hacker doesn’t sleep
P105 for 15 Cellos Donuts – This was the sweet deal my sister caught this off a groupon-coupon-like site on the net. Cellos donuts usually go P30 per piece.
Just last month my officemates went to the Splash Island Resort after buying some coupons for a day pass. This was from another Pinoy Groupon-wannabe.
Can’t help noticing these group-buying Groupon-like sites sprouting like mushrooms all around the Philippine Internet. What are these anyway? How do these sites make money?
Trust on Wikipedia to tell you:
Groupon’s business model: The company offers one “Groupon” (“group coupon”) per day in each of the markets it serves. The Groupon works as an assurance contract using ThePoint’s platform: if a certain number of people sign up for the offer, then the deal becomes available to all; if the predetermined minimum is not met, no one gets the deal that day.
No wonder people these sites have been popping up. I wondered – now if only someone aggregated all these sites.
Two days ago, an ole’-buddy, Rico, chats me up and says, hey check this out.
I go.. “No you did’n-t! Did you just aggregate some Philippine group buying sites into one website?”
Now if you know the Rico we all loved – you’d know he’d be sleeping and dozing off somewhere (sometimes in his car). In truth, he was dreaming about HTML, CSS, and coding. The guy spawns websites like that mythical-Goose lays golden eggs.
Naturally, a tweet followed:
TWEET: Me(2 wks ago): “Wish there was an aggregator of all these DEAL sites.” Friend(today): “Hey chk out my new site – frugalpanda.ph” WTH?!
He comes back to me after reading my tweet and says:
“Funny tweet. Even funnier…” (and shows me Luis Benaventura’s tweet)”
WEDNESDAY:
TWEET: @helloluis: Anyone want to work on a web startup with me? Idea: An aggregator for PH group-buying sites called tingitingi.com.ph.
THURSDAY: @ricostacruz: sup, check out frugalpanda
As Mikey commented on facebook “Mike Villar PSH. Rico is so great, Rico is so this, Rico is so that :| #BitterOcampo”
Damn right.