Good idea? Great idea.
Good execution? Let's find out.
The folks that founded, designed and developed Gift Side Story think they know what women want. CEO and Founder Ankur Jain told HuffPost that Gift Side Story specifically can find "the right gift for the right relationship for the right event"; in order to do this, they need to get acquainted with your girl, her likes and dislikes, what makes her groove. Here's the initial survey you fill out that helps the Gift Side Story algorithm "learn" about the woman you're buying a present for:
And that's it. In these early stages, it is a very simple site. Fill out a survey, choose from one of three gifts suggested for you, swipe your credit card and wait. Right now, the real story is how Gift Side Story chooses its gifts, and whether or not Gift Side Story is effective at offering the right gifts, which will likely determine the company's success going forward.
You might be thinking: How could a computer algorithm and a bunch of guys in Brooklyn that have (probably) never met your girlfriend possibly know what your girlfriend wants better than you can?
For learning about the girl and what kinds of gifts she might want, the most important part of the survey is the one in which you choose your girl's "style type," according to Jeff Jones, director of merchandising for Gift Side Story. Jones, who had more than 15 years of fashion wholesale experience before joining the Gift Side Story team as head gift chooser, said that the most difficult task of building GSS from the ground up was "categorizing every girl in the United States." Eventually, he landed on five different style types.
- Bohemian (modeled after Siena Miller, with tribal patterns and animal prints)
- Glam girl (modeled after Jennifer Lopez, with sequins and rhinestones, a girl who loves attention)
- Suburban classic girl (modeled after an all-American, nautical, preppy girl-next-door)
- Urban classic girl (modeled after Rachel Bilson, with black clothing that is tailored and fitted)
- Eclectic girl (modeled after Gwen Stefani, loves "both thrift stores and Neiman Marcus")
These five types are depicted below. Try to guess which one is which:
The gifts come in the categories you would expect: There are handbags and earrings, gourmet foods and personal electronics. Jones said that all of the gifts are made by boutique shops and that their catalog is updated every three months to include products (especially fashion accessories) that are in line with the latest trends. That way, Jain said, the guy can "look like a hero" when he gives a hot new gift to his girl.
It's a brilliant idea. Anyone who has ever disappointed his mother, girlfriend or sister with a present knows how much it stings (especially if you've ever disappointed them all on the same day); that an entrepreneur has come forward and automated the process, with a lot of research into what makes certain types of women happy, is a terrific boon to clueless (and, frankly, clued-in) men everywhere. The service is free to use, so even if you're just looking for suggestions, Gift Side Story is a great resource. It's a golden and original idea, and the process is idiot-proof, which goes a long way in the tech world.
But, like most startups in private beta testing (don't worry, we've got access for you, HuffPost readers), there is plenty of room for improvement.
First, let's talk pricing. The cheapest gift you can currently buy through Gift Side Story is $125.
That's right. The cheapest gift is more than $100.
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