Can a Thiel Fellow Build a Better Shopping App?

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Dropping out of college to become a Thiel Fellow (and accept $100,000 in funding) generates a certain cachet. Mark Daniel from the 2013 class is capitalizing on that prestige with a startup that he co-founded called Strut.

The SF Business Times reports that Strut is a shopping app, and that Daniel has already secured a $1.5 million seed round to build out his team, but the young entrepreneur isn't sharing specifics just yet. "I'm still staying tight-lipped about what it does, but [think] about how shopping expresses in real life—the social delight and the fun of shopping with your friends online," Mark tells the pub.

What we know is that Strut will prioritize the social aspect ahead of commerce, and the app will connect users to shoppable new trends via friends. That premise sounds similar to other fashion and shopping apps like LIKEtoKNOW.IT and Styletag, so we're curious to see how Strut differs. The app is scheduled to launch in October. For early access, sign up here. Then you can be the judge of whether this "shoppable Pinterest" trumps the rest.
· This college dropout, Thiel fellow lands funding for hush-hush shopping startup [San Francisco Business Times]
· Strut [Official Site]
· PoshMatch Knows What You Want Before You Do [Racked SF]