Editors’ Note

A vanguard in Internet business development and online marketing, Dany Fishel previously co-founded the strategic web consulting practice KwaKwa, alongside Ilan Leibovich, his current co-founder at Rounds. His expertise includes developing new revenue models, forging strategic partnerships, and media landscape thought-leadership. Fishel received a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel.

Company Brief

Rounds (rounds.com) is a free multi-platform video chat hangout application where users can interact and have fun with friends by playing games, browsing Facebook, watching YouTube videos together, listening to music, and taking snapshots. Rounds’ webcam chat allows you to see friends’ reactions in real time, making it the ultimate social experience. Rounds Hangout is available on Android and iPhone, as well as on the Web.

What was your vision for Rounds when it was created?

The original concept was for it to be a speed-dating site and we called ourselves 6rounds. Anyone who has been at a speed-dating event knows how awkward and uncomfortable they can be – our idea was to provide activities and games as ice-breakers for would-be couples, so even if there is no romantic chemistry, during the five minutes they have to kill, they would at least have something to do together.

During the development process, we realized our vision and concept of hanging out around shared activities could be attractive to users outside of the speed-dating community.

So we moved to providing a fun, new real-time communication tool for everyone. We understood that the concept of hanging out with your friends and having the ability to share and create moments together offers a unique value proposition and is the selling point we’re trying to promote to the end users.

What is the profile of your user?

The 13-24-year-old age range comprises the vast majority of our users. However, we have seen a lot of U.S. Marines and overseas soldiers using Rounds. We’re trying to bring to the world a mimic of real-life encounters providing an opportunity to communicate when there is not the option to do so face-to-face.

What business model have you developed for Rounds?

What Rounds brings to the table is an added layer on top of the communication – an opportunity to create shared experiences while you communicate live with one another by providing additional layers of entertainment and fun interaction.

What Rounds brings to the world is a cross-platform agnostic environment that can be used on any Android or iOS device, Mac or PC, or via Facebook or Twitter. We want to be the added layer on top that helps you communicate with your friends, no matter where they are.

What drives the entrepreneurial culture within Tel Aviv?

Within the Tel Aviv municipality, there are hundreds of companies very connected to the high-tech scene.

The constant learning curve within this community makes it unique. A lot of people who are finishing their military service in Israel have gained considerable knowledge in computer science. They are very eager to do something meaningful.

That combination of great companies and the type of people who are both amazing engineers as well as open to new ideas on how to make things better, is what drives the power of entrepreneurship in Tel Aviv, and in Israel.•