For being a big city, Boston still has a very small-world feel. Last week, I met Henry Wu, who joined HubSpot as a product designer earlier this year, while we were both waiting in line for the grand opening of Idle Hands brewery in Malden.
The reason he and I started talking was because he, his fiancee and I were all playing Pokemon Go, the new hit augmented reality app that's taken the world by storm, trying to find some Pokemon while in line.
On Wednesday, after discovering that someone created a Pokemon Go map of Greater Boston using Google Maps and posting it to BostInno's social media channels, Wu reached out and revealed that he created the map. Small world, right?
Here's a short interview I had with Wu, where he talks about why he created the map, HubSpot employees creating their own Slack channel for Pokemon Go and how the app has been able to bring people together:
Dylan Martin: What gave you the idea for making the Google Map? How long did it take?
"It took off like a Zubat out of hell."[/pullquote]
Henry Wu: When I hit level 5, I started noticing rare high-CP (combat points) Pokemons at the nearby gyms — Lapras, Snorlax and Electabuzz. At the same time, a Facebook group called Pokemon Go Boston was created where trainers posted their rare Pokemon catches. Some also indicated the location of the catch. I noticed 3 to 4 different trainers posted about Magmar catches near Fellsmere Park - a pattern. Whether that was a coincidence or not, my fiancee and I went to see if we can also catch our own Magmar - to get our very own rare Pokemon. Sure enough, we each caught three to four Magmars at the same location in one night and that’s what sparked the idea for the Google Map. I still wasn’t sure if the same Pokemon will always spawn at the same location, but our experience was valuable enough that it’s worth sharing. I’ve made custom Google Maps in the past for travel purposes so I know Google Maps is a powerful enough tool that can used to share Pokemon catches.
It took about 15 minutes to create the Google Map. I pinned about a dozen or so Pokemon catches and then I organized the pins by rarity. I shared the Google Map on Facebook, with some of my co-workers and on a local Pokemon Go sub-Reddit and it took off like a Zubat out of hell. Within hours, other trainers started pinning their Pokemon catches, uploading their own Pokemon icons and added other valuable layers to the map. I had a feeling it was going to get shared but I didn’t think it was going to get over 130,000 views and go viral within days.
DM: What has been your favorite moment playing Pokemon Go so far?
HW: My favorite moment playing Pokemon Go so far was when I first dropped Lure Modules at a Lure Stack location (a popular area where you can access multiple PokeStops at the same time). A Lure Module attracts wild Pokemon to the PokeStop and all trainers nearby can benefit from it by catching the Pokemon that spawns. When a Lure Module is placed on a PokeStop, all trainers can see that on their own maps. Within minutes, trainers from all kinds of backgrounds and ages appeared at our location. I had a nice chat with with someone in the military, someone who just finished his shift at a nearby restaurant and groups of trainers who were attracted to the area. We shared tips, stories and of course, our Pokemon catches. Parents also brought their children by and my fiancee gave some Trainer 101 lessons. The whole scene was very serene.
DM: Do you have any other co-workers playing Pokemon Go right now?
HW: Yes! Most of co-workers are playing Pokemon Go. A couple of us actually just came back from catching a Wartortle outside of the office (which I just pinned to the Google Map). We also have our own Slack channel where we discuss catches, nearby Pokemon, strategy and organize lunch walks to catch Pokemon. It’s super effective!
The transcript was edited for brevity.
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