Finding new things to read online can be remarkably difficult. Everyone has their “usual” websites, via RSS, or Flipboard, or Twitter. And there are sites like Stumbleupon that give you fun random ideas. But it can be hard to set the parameters for new sources just right — either you’re looking in too broad an area, or you get so focused on a narrow niche that you miss out on finding anything new and different.
That’s where ArchetypeMe.com steps in to make your morning news and coffee routine that much more interesting.
What is ArchetypeMe? It’s an approach to content discovery that uses psychology to help match you with the right types of stories. You take a short quiz, which matches you to your archetype, the personality and intellectual traits that influence the kinds of news and content you want to read. Then you can flip between curated areas that present content based on these categories. So, I took the quiz and my archetypes were Intellectual, Advocate, and Athlete. None of these surprised me.
I was surprised by how much I enjoy popping in and checking out the suggested articles. Today under “Intellectual”, there was a short but interesting piece comparing President Obama to Lincoln, and another on Johnny Depp becoming a book publisher. Meanwhile, the “Athlete” section covers everything from yoga to running and extreme sports. The site isn’t pinpointing me down to “person who likes books”, or “athlete who really likes running”. Those things are part of the broader category, and this allows me to discover more than my pre-selected preferred niches.
About a month ago, I had the opportunity to chat with Eunice Byun, ArchetypeMe’s VP of Business Development and Marketing, and I was able to learn how passionate and excited the creators are for this site. The idea is to make content discovery personal, down to the micro-edited archetypes users can visit. In addition to just landing on a content page, you can add interesting articles to your “me” board, making this almost like the content version of Pinterest. You can check out your friends “me board”, explore other archetypes, and get lost for quite a while reading it all! One thing they mentioned on our call that is starting are commerce tie-ins as well. At the bottom of each of my archetype pages are gift ideas, broken out by archetype. Shopping for a creative person but stuck on an idea? Maybe some of the book ideas from HeadButler will work. Trying to give a material item with social purpose? ArchetypeMe suggests some awesome sneakers called “Twins For Peace“. This sort of overlap is both fascinating and helpful!
I think ArchetypeMe has a lot of potential to be a daily drop by site. The more users it has, the more content gets curated and presented, the better it is going to get! It’s still in beta but available for anyone to sign up, so head over and check it out! And be sure to let me know if you find anything great to read!
Check out the full press release announcing ArchetypeMe below:
Archetypes, Inc.: The Debut of an Innovative Personal Lifestyle Company
Company Launches with a Mission to Celebrate Self-Expression and Personal Discovery
New York (December 12, 2012) – Introducing Archetypes, Inc., a new personal lifestyle company that better equips people to answer the questions, “Who am I?” and “What’s relevant to me?” in an interactive and engaging way. Launching with its online portal ArchetypeMe.com, Archetypes, Inc. offers products and services that help people better express who they are, discover what’s right for them and connect with those around them.
Archetypes, Inc. is inspired by the archetypes philosophy, a way of interpreting the world that was popularized by psychologist Carl Jung. Archetypes are universal patterns of behaviors that, once discovered, help people better understand themselves and others. By identifying their archetypes, users have a deeper understanding of why they are drawn to certain people, things, trends and how they can make better decisions. The ten primary archetypes for women and men are: the Caregiver, the Creative, the Intellectual, the Athlete, the Visionary, the Queen/Executive or King/Executive, the Fashionista or Gentleman, the Advocate, the Spiritual and the Rebel.
Archetypes, Inc. was conceived by Cristina Carlino, the entrepreneur and pioneer behind beauty brands BioMedic and philosophy. Says Carlino, “Archetypes, Inc. is about your world, according to you. It’s your brand, your channel, your platform, and how you see the world and others.”
Co-Founder and CEO Michael Mendenhall remarks, “In an age where technology brings endless data to our fingertips, we need to refine how we sift and discover what’s relevant to our innate personality. Archetypes, Inc. does precisely this by connecting people to their archetypes and empowering them to interact in a truly personal manner.”
With its debut, Archetypes, Inc. has animated this spirit of self-discovery through an online content and community platform, ArchetypeMe, that offers users original lifestyle & culture news, entertainment and outlets for self-expression and community-building.
The ArchetypeMe experience begins with a short, engaging personality test that reveals a user’s archetypes. This test is inspired by the archetypes methodology and is informed by insights from archetypes experts, behavioral scientists, and quantitative analysis specialists. The results of the test help people build profiles tailored to their primary archetypes, which can then be used to filter across the site’s content and community.
The editorial content on ArchetypeMe features original articles and videos, arranged by archetype. Led by Editor in Chief Lisa Gabor, ArchetypeMe is produced by a top-tier team of editors, writers and designers. The community section of ArchetypeMe encourages users to connect with friends, meet new people, and build their profiles on what the company calls “ME” boards. The “ME” board allows users to curate from the site and across the web, choosing items that they believe best represent their archetypes – and themselves.
About Archetypes, Inc.
Archetypes, Inc. is a personal lifestyle company that better equips people to answer the questions, “Who am I?” and “What’s relevant to me?” The company is founded on the philosophy of archetypes, made relevant for today’s culture and time.
About ArchetypeMe
Archetypes, Inc.’s flagship entity, ArchetypeMe is an innovative website that redefines ‘personal’ search, recommendations, and curation through the lens of archetypes. A mix of original and curated content, social networking and trends, the website is a new online experience where consumers can learn more about themselves and their community in an entertaining and transformative way. Discover more at ArchetypeMe.com.
