What about what3words?

A few weeks ago my colleague Chris posted about what3words, a company that gives a unique 3 word address to every 3x3 square meter on earth. We reached out to Giles Jones, their CMO, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

You are all over the news this year. It seems like the world is ready to change their addresses. What are the biggest challenges you are currently facing?

The misconception is that the world is well addressed — it isn’t, the UN say that about 75% of the counties in the world don’t have a well-maintained system. Or even any system at all.

The assumption is that we are attempting to replace traditional addressing — we are not, if you are lucky enough to have one we add a level of specificity to it.

The belief that an address means a building — it is so much more — it is a way of talking about any location on the planet.

The Mongol Post is implementing the new address system in Mongolia. Since you are targeting developing countries, how do residents, know what their address is, if they don’t have access to electronic devices?

Developed countries have rubbish addressing too! Talking about a location can be challenging. If you are trying to meet someone in a park, on a beach or ski slope or at a festival or maybe you have broken down or had an accident and need to tell emergency services where you are. This can be as tough in Germany and the UK as parts of Africa and Asia. We are being used by delivery companies the UK and music festivals in the US and by running groups in France. Steven Spielberg used the system to coordinate shooting of his last EST blockbuster Ready Player One in Birmingham.

The high penetration of smartphones is all markets means that many people have access to them. That said the system doesn’t need a smartphone or computer at every stage for it to work. In parts of Africa and India people are being allocated their address. It is written down or remembered. The next time they visit a medical centre or micro finance lender they can tell them their address. This makes things like managing programs and tracking diseases much easier.

The system doesn’t need a smartphone at every stage for it to work. In parts of Africa and India people are being allocated their address. It is written down or remembered.

In your video, you mention that it’s easier to find a water point in remote areas. How do you reach out to those residents in slums and remote areas and letting them know of their 3 word address?

We are a b2b brand. We licence our software to business so they can either improve efficiencies, customer satisfaction or save lives. They communicate this to their existing customers and use it as a point of differentiation to get more.

Where do you pick the words from?

We have a highly curated world list of 40k words in English — we have done the land masses and oceans — and 25k for other languages — we are in 11 more -as we have just done land masses.

Do you think there will be a problem with some cities not wanting to be associated with certain words?

We have removed rude, overly complex words and homophones (sale & sail). A city has millions of combinations.

Is there a function in your program that allows to avoid such mistakes?

If people don’t like certain combinations they can take a step to the left or right and select another square.

How do people speaking different languages communicate their address?

They can use whatever language they are most comfortable with the system will recognise it. Even if a mistake is made the system can pick it up.

How do German speakers give their address out to an English or French speaker? (Isn’t this an area where traditional address would be more effective?)

Re traditional address — Only if the person can speak French!

If you have a street address and it works then you don’t need us. We are not looking to replace them. If, however people struggle to find you or you post always goes next door, or you have a new build and the street address isn’t in the official database. Or you are going to an office block and the pin drops in the middle rather than at the entrance and you are late for your meeting. In those circumstances, you will find a 3 word address a useful addendum.

A minuscule amount of the planet is addressed, and if you want to talk about any of the rest of it, you can use us.

You can find your 3 words here.