Two students who study at the Applied Computer Science are developing Puloro, an app designed to consciously bring digital connectivity back into the real world:
It is designed to make it easier for people to get to know one another in their local area, arrange to meet up for activities and build new connections.
In this interview, Georg and Nico explain how Puloro works, how the idea came about – and what role Fulda University of Applied Sciences plays in the project.
DPCS (Department of Applied Computer Science): Hello Georg, hello Nico – to start with, could you briefly introduce yourselves: What are you studying and what stage are you currently at?
Georg: Hi, we’re both studying applied computer science on a dual study programme and are currently writing our Bachelor’s theses, which we’ll hand in at the end of September – then we’ll have completed our university studies.
Nico: Exactly, we started together and are now graduating together.
DPCS: You’re both from the Fulda region – what brought you to Fulda University of Applied Sciences?
Georg: I’m from the nearby Rhön region. It was important to me to study locally – and, above all, to do so in a way that’s related to practice. That’s why I’m on a dual study programme. Theory is important, but for me, practical experience always has to be part of it.
Nico: I’m also from the region. I work for JUMO. I initially did training there as an electronics technician specialising in industrial engineering, then worked full-time whilst studying for my technician’s qualification alongside that. Through a role with a strong IT focus, I then moved more towards computer science – and that inspired me to study applied computer science as a dual degree.
It wasn’t easy to switch from a full-time salary to a dual study programme. But I haven’t regretted it for a second – except perhaps sometimes during exam periods. Computer science simply appealed to me more and offers me more opportunities for development.
DPCS: What is Puloro – and what can you do with it?
Nico: Puloro is a platform designed to bring people back together in person. Sure, there’s Instagram, TikTok and the like – but we get the feeling that a lot of people are just glued to their screens these days. Puloro is intended as a digital tool to consciously manage users’ return to the ‘real world’.
Georg: It’s about making it easier to make new contacts, exchange ideas and not just interact digitally.
DPCS: How does it actually work?
Nico: When you open the app, you see a map. Users can make themselves visible on it and are then displayed within a 500-metre radius. That’s the signal: ‘You can come and talk to me.’
Georg: Thereare so-called ‘icebreakers’ in the Puloro profile – things like interests or conversation starters. Many people have no problem chatting, but the first step is often the hardest: how do I start a conversation? Puloro is designed to help with exactly that.
DPCS: And how do you make sure you recognise each other in person?
Nico: The idea is to have a recent profile picture – ideally a photo taken ‘today’. On traditional social media profiles, pictures are often heavily staged or out of date. If you really want to meet up, a realistic picture helps you find each other more easily.
DPCS: The chances of several people being visible within 500 metres at the same time aren’t always great. What do you do about that?
Georg: That’s what the side quests are for. Anyone can create a side quest on the map, complete with a description and a time. For example: ‘I’m going to the funfair today – who’s coming along?’ Others can join in, and you then meet up at the agreed location.
Nico: Side quests also lower the barrier to entry: you can start using the app without being fully visible straight away – that helps you get started and ‘step out of your comfort zone’.
DPCS: Many apps focus on chat, following and remote connections. Why have you deliberately taken a different approach?
Georg: Puloro is designed to support face-to-face encounters. That’s why many features are set up so that actions have to be confirmed in person – for example, via QR codes. If you want to become friends within the app, this happens in real time when you meet, using a QR code.
Nico: Technically , you can always ‘get round’ things, but the app is designed to make real-life meetings more likely.
DPCS: What happens after a meet-up?
Georg: You can create a memento – for example, a memento selfie taken during a meet-up or a side quest. This creates a sort of photo album or diary in your profile: when did I meet up with whom? Which activities did I take part in?
DPCS: What was the inspiration behind Puloro?
Nico: I noticed how difficult that first step often is – striking up a conversation with someone. During the ‘university festival’ (Editor’s note: a university festival on the Campus Fulda), there were situations where you’d suddenly find yourself standing alone with a stranger – and after some initial shyness, some really good conversations would develop. That’s when I thought: I’m sure lots of people feel the same way. It would be great if that initial hurdle could be lowered a bit for people. And that’s where Puloro comes in. If you’re visible, it means: ‘I’m open to making contact.’ And the icebreakers give you a starting point for a conversation.
Georg: And it fits in with our motto: ‘Step away from your feed. Get out into real life.’ You realise yourself how quickly you get hooked on social media. We wanted a tool that makes good use of your smartphone – as a bridge to the outside world.
DPCS: There are two of you working on the project. How do you divide up the tasks?
Georg: We’ve defined our roles so it’s clear who makes decisions in which areas. We discuss major decisions and make them together. I’m primarily in charge of the technical side, but I also want to get more involved in the operational side.
Nico: I handle a lot of communication and public relations, coordinate various topics – and I’m also involved in development, for example on the front end.
Georg: We have a fixed weekly meeting to reflect on things: what went well, what’s holding us back, what’s the mood like? That helps us a lot.
Nico: You mustn’t forget: we’re effectively working full-time, writing our Bachelor's theses at the same time – and then carrying on with development in the evenings and at weekends. It’s a lot, but we do it because we’re really committed to the project.
DPCS: Did your university studies prepare you for a project like Puloro?
Georg: The modules themselves don’t automatically prepare you for ‘setting up a business’ – nor is that the main aim. However, the university as an organisation helped us a great deal. We sought out contacts, asked questions – and received support.
Nico: I was pleasantly surprised by how open and helpful many of the professors are. We had lots of discussions: feedback, advice, risks, ideas. That was extremely valuable.
Georg: And, of course, individual courses provide practical help: for example, the Android programming module – not least through exchange with instructors and other students, and the opportunity to really get to grips with the subject.
DPCS: What makes Fulda, or Fulda University of Applied Sciences, special for you as a place to study?
Georg: For me, the key factor was choosing a university of applied sciences over a traditional university, because it is related to practice and offers a more personal environment. I also think the resources are very good – the library, laboratories and technology.
Nico: It was similar for me. Even without a traditional university entrance qualification, it was achievable for me because the system is fair: you have to work hard, but you get support. And the proximity to my placement partner is, of course, a plus.
DPCS: Were there any specific modules that you remember as being particularly related to practice?
Nico: The Cloud Services module was excellent: an environment where you could really get hands-on experience. Without that, I probably wouldn’t have got my new job as a cloud engineer.
Georg: There were also very related to practice environments in IT security. You can really see how much effort the instructors put in to make practical learning a reality.
DPCS: Puloro uses location data – how do you ensure data protection and security?
Nico: We host our servers in Germany, do not transfer any data abroad and do not sell anything. Location data is sensitive – that’s why we only store what is necessary. If you switch to invisible mode, your location is deleted from the server.
Georg: We also minimise the amount of personal data we collect: for example, we only store first names, not surnames. What isn’t stored can’t be leaked.
DPCS: What are your next steps?
Georg: We’re currently focusing on two major topics: setting up the company and getting Puloro onto the App Store and Play Store, so that installation is as easy as possible.
At the same time, we’re continuing to develop the app, particularly with a view to the upcoming freshers’ week, where we want to help new students network more easily using our app.
Nico: Unfortunately, our beta phase didn’t go as hoped – partly because the app wasn’t ready until the end of the semester, when we’d planned to publish it. It was nevertheless a great learning experience: users are needed to keep content present, and without users, content is missing/lacking/absent. We’re working on that.
Georg: Another step is collaboration with organisations: the aim is for, say, the university or student initiatives to be able to appoint their own side quests and events. This gives events visibility – and provides the app with content.
DPCS: Thank you very much for the interesting conversation!
Further information about Puloro is available here:
- Website: www.puloro.com
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nuportus
- Instagram: @puloro.app