In the hospitality industry, there are countless small tasks that nobody really enjoys doing: filling salt shakers, folding napkins and wiping windows, for example. But what if these small tasks were linked to a reward?

At the newly founded startup SolveCircle, employees can collect points by completing certain tasks and ultimately save up for larger bonuses from their employer.

UNC graduates Deesha Parekh and Daniel Meskill began brainstorming ideas for their company back in October 2023 and just graduated from this year’s summer cohort, Launch Chapel Hill. (GrepBeat also recently covered startup cohort member Jobbly.) Parekh and Meskill spent their time in the program preparing for a pilot launch of their product. this month.

Parekh said that joining the program after already completing her bachelor’s degree in economics was beneficial for her, as she was able to invest a lot of time and effort into the startup. Meskill, who completed his master’s degree in statistics, said the problem-solving skills he used in his courses are transferable to his current work at SolveCircle.

SolveCircle targets the area of ​​internal corporate communications. The initial target market is restaurants, with the possibility of later expansion to other industries.

To implement a reward system, restaurant managers download the SolveCircle app and give employees access to it. The app provides templates for tasks and assigned points, and managers can also add their own tasks and point values.

SolveCircle’s strategy is based on the psychology of gamification, which recognizes that people have a desire for recognition and reward.

“People like to see that number go up,” Parekh said. “People want to get to the next level in their game just to earn points. So we thought you could build a miniature economy with that.”

Restaurant managers can reward specific points amounts with different rewards based on the restaurant’s performance. Examples of rewards can range from first refusal on the next week’s schedule to a free meal at the end of a workday or even a paid day off. Employees can see their ranking on a leaderboard and compare their progress with that of their peers.

The founders chose restaurants because of the high number of employees who receive tips in the industry. In North Carolina not more than 20% The work of an employee who receives tips may be secondary employment (such as cleaning or prep work).

While SolveCircle was looking for new customers, the founders learned that many restaurants give their employees free food as a motivational tool. The points would be a way to standardize this existing practice.

SHORT SCIENCE
Start-up: Circle solve
Co-founders: Deesha Parekh and Daniel Meskill
Year of foundation: 2023
Location: Chapel Hill
Financing: Bootstrap
Team size: 1 co-founder

The revenue model will be a tiered monthly subscription based on the number of employees a particular client serves. App users can also pay for upgrades. For example, while all restaurant managers can access employee metrics, an employee can pay to view their personal stats and ranking. Aesthetic upgrades will also be offered, such as a colorful username or background.

After completing pilot testing, the founders hope to have a final version of the app ready in October and have their first paying customers in January 2025.

Parekh and Meskill invite companies to contact them via Instagram, @solvecircle.