developer for online virtual world

Position Overview vZones is seeking an entrepreneurial-minded individual capable of taking the lead technology development role for a very promising New York City-based start-up. The successful candidate will be expected to provide input into both technology-related and business-related matters, and can expect a significant equity stake in return should they prove a good fit for the business Responsibilities It is expected that the successful candidate will have experience working in early software ventures, be capable of understanding user needs and converting those into the technical requirements, and then possess or obtain the knowledge and necessary skills to develop technology to meet those requirements. Technologies currently in use include C++, Perl, Tcl, UNIX environments, particularly Solaris, will be key in moving from the existing platform into something new but decisions on future technology usage will rest solely with the successful candidate. The products are primarily web- and mobile-based, so only candidates comfortable with assuming full creative license over our web and mobile technologies need apply. A comfort with graphic design and human computer interaction techniques should be considered a must, and a proven track record of success on iterative/agile software development projects is required. This is expected to be a full-time commitment. ## Deliverables VZones is a 2.5 dimensional cartoony virtual world platform for engaging entertaining online interaction, which we achieve by offering a wide range of activities in a community setting. VZones was launched in 1995 and more than half of our original members still call VZones their virtual home today. The virtual goods market is growing exponentially. Mediapost reports that the virtual goods market doubled in 2009, reaching $1 billion in revenue with growth expected to continue to $1.6 billion this year. Billions of people are accessing their real live social networks via mobile. Over 30% of smartphone users access social networks using a mobile browser, comScore reports, up from 22% a year ago. Access to Facebook via a mobile browser grew 112% while Twitter's mobile usage grew 347%. Facebook saw 25.1M mobile users in January 2010, MySpace had 11.4M and Twitter 4.7M. More people are using the mobile web to socialize (91%) compared to the 79% of desktop users who do the same, according to a recent study from Ruder Finn. During the 2.7 hours per day that people in the U.S. are spending on the mobile web, 45% are posting comments on social networks, 43% are connecting with friends on social networks, 40% are sharing content with others and 38% are sharing photos.