For almost as long as there have been internet tech startups, there have been people trying to kill the business card. While the inefficient, environmentally dubious practice of exchanging a piece of dead tree with someone else definitely needs to end, I’m increasingly convinced that some clever piece of proprietary technology just isn’t needed.
None of the ‘we’ll replace business cards’ apps have ever taken off because they generally require a critical mass of users that it’s incredibly hard to accumulate. Still, at some point around 18 months ago I stopped taking cards to events with me and opted for something far simpler and more meaningful.
Whenever I meet someone who I want to talk to again in the future, I ask for their email address and I email them right there and then from my phone. It’s just a quick ‘Hi, good to meet you at…’ but that’s all it needs to be.
