Why I Hate Business Cards

Like everything I try to create, my business card has been designed to be different. I believe that when you differentiate what you’re doing from everyone else, you gain a competitive advantage.

Here’s my EGO Banknote business card – some people have said it’s the best business card in the world:

Why I Hate Business Cards

This business card may be memorable, but getting my details into your phone is tough…

And when I’m booked to give motivational speeches at conferences, I often receive dozens of traditional paper business cards. Even with OCR (optical character recognition) apps, these are still an utter chore to get into my mobile phone address book too.

So, to tackle this, I’ve created a new app that allows you to swap contact information with one tap of your phone. It’s called ‘tilt‘ and once you’ve created your digital business card on tilt, (which is even simpler and faster if you sign up through LinkedIn), you can swap contact information with someone by holding your phone up to theirs in order to capture the tilt QR Code. It’s simple, easy and fast…

The app called bump sold to Google for a reputed $30-60 million dollars and yet there’s been nothing since that has captured the market for swapping contact information digitally.

With tilt, it works even when you’re offline…

Tilt exp sm

tilt WAS BUILT TO SOLVE A PROBLEM I ENCOUNTER EVERY DAY

I believe the business card is dead.

Like you I’m sure, I meet a lot of people in my professional and personal life. Over the years, I’ve been given (and received) many traditional 85mm x 55mm paper business cards. Instead of giving someone my paper business card or received theirs. I’ve always wished for the ability to instantly send my own contact card (vCard) with my correct. And full details on, right from my phone to theirs, with one tap.

I’ve also always disliked how, when I meet someone new. I often had to scribble a reminder note on the back of a paper business card about who they were and why I should contact them. And then I’d frequently simply ‘file’ their card into a fat business card book. Or bury it in a drawer – and promptly forget that card.

Note and person. Sure, I’ve used card scanning and photographing apps to get data from a business card into my phone’s address book (where it becomes searchable and actionable) but let’s face it: the process is cumbersome, slow.
And inaccurate. I’ve even tried typing – yes, I have!

So, I’m a frustrated user trying to help myself and others who meet people and with to connect easily and swiftly. Having been to many conferences as a motivational speaker. And worked in many offices, and gone to numerous parties (!). I know I’m not alone in the desire to have a wick and easy way to swap contact information. And that’s why I built tilt. Now, you don’t need to design, print and carry a physical business card, you can simply open tilt and swap your digital card in seconds… Why I Hate Business Cards