85by85 Is LinkedIn Meets Chatroulette

There's a new online startup that sounds like a great idea when you first hear it, then immediately afterward you have to think it's a crazy idea, and then finally you'll probably settle somewhere around "well that sounds interesting but probably not for me." Regardless of your thoughts, though, it is certainly a unique and novel idea. 85by85 wants to be like online speed dating, for business purposes.

So, if you're an independent contractor looking for a new gig, or an employer trying to find the most efficient way to interview as many people as possible, 85by85 wants to be your go-to source. In essence, it's like LinkedIn on speed. The way that people are connected is very similar to Chatroulette – it's a random process – but there is actually some priority given to matches who have similarities in their LinkedIn profiles.

85by85 "interviews" or chat sessions last two minutes before they are automatically terminated and both parties are then paired with new matches. In effect, this service strives to take the difficulty out of real, live networking. Is there really such a thing as an adequate replacement for that? Probably not, but then again crazier things have happened in the social space. If nothing else, 85by85 is an incredibly creative idea.

[via VentureBeat]