ABOUT

Why we exist

Gift-giving is one of the most popular and culturally accepted ways we express our feelings about relationships, people, causes and events. Whether you’re giving money to charity, sending your partner flowers, or thanking a co-worker for his/her hard work, a great gift can make a huge difference.

The problem with gift-giving is that in order to give a great gift, one that will be well received, you have to take the time to really think about the recipient, the occasion, and several other factors. This is usually easier and more fun to do for people you know well. But what about everyone else who you don’t know very well (e.g., co-workers, acquaintances, distant family members, etc...) or important people who you don’t talk to often?

Sometimes buying gifts can be frustrating and overly time-consuming. You don’t know enough about the person you’re shopping for; you don’t know where to start because there are too many possible gift ideas; and/or, there isn’t enough time because you waited too long.

So most people invest minimal effort to buy the first or quickest gift they find. Or they avoid gift-giving all together. Despite our best intentions, sometimes we (especially men) buy bad gifts because we don’t know what else to do.

Our mission is to solve this problem so all people see gift-giving as an enjoyable and worthwhile way to show their commitment, affection and/or appreciation. We plan to improve relationships, one gift at a time!

How we make it happen

Givtr was designed to help people save time buying great gifts. We accomplish this in several key ways:

  1. Social media – Most people share information about their likes, interests, and preferences on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. If the information is readily available, why should you have to waste time researching to find it? We capture and input this information to save you time and get you started so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

  2. Gift science – Researchers have identified several key variables that predict whether a gift will be well received, such as the giver-receiver relationship, occasion, and gift intention. Empathy - the ability to put oneself in another person’s shoes - also plays a huge role in helping the gifter to really think about and know what the recipient will enjoy. We collect information based on this research to ensure that you buy thoughtful and more cherished gifts.

  3. Multi-dimensional gifts – When we think about what someone would enjoy, we don’t only think about tangible products, such as wallets, TVs, or chocolates. They might enjoy a type of massage, a specific magazine subscription, concert tickets for a particular band, or a ski trip to their favorite mountain. As the ultimate gifting experience, Givtr is able to uncover ideas that might have been overlooked, thereby allowing you to buy more unique gifts. This means gift ideas of all shapes and sizes, such as products, experiences, services, and local attractions. Yes, we know - very cool.

  4. Machine learning – Only a machine would enjoy crunching the data necessary to recommend personalized gift ideas based on fluctuating interests and millions of possible gift ideas. Givtr harnesses machine learning and Bayesian analysis to ensure that our recommendations improve over time. Simply put, Givtr gets smarter the more you use it.

  5. Human touch – we want Givtr to mimic the natural gifting experience, which often includes sharing ideas and getting help from others. Therefore, we allow our gifters to share gift ideas with friends before buying. Gift curators and experts can provide live customer support about which gifts to buy. Meanwhile, gift recipients can create wish-lists and set their Givtr profiles to ensure they receive better gifts in the future.

    6. What we offer

    Givtr is an intelligent and personalized gift recommendation tool that helps people better know the recipient, save time researching all possible gift ideas, and buy great gifts from a single source. All of Givtr technology is patent pending.

    Who we are

    Givtr is comprised of psychologists, data scientists, and software developers with a wide range of experience in human behavior and computer science. We are passionate about bridging technology and psychology to enhance the gift-giving experience.

    If you share our vision and want to join our team, let us know!