I Was Here

What it does

I Was Here lets users draw artwork directly onto street-level panoramic images. The drawings persist in a shared environment, so other visitors to the same locations see the same annotations. The strokes are projected onto the 3D geometry of the panoramas rather than appearing as flat overlays, meaning they wrap around buildings and follow real-world surfaces. The platform uses WebGL2 for rendering and Mapillary as the source of street imagery.

Who it is for

The target audience appears to be anyone interested in collaborative, location-based creativity. Street view users who want to leave marks or messages at specific locations could find value here. Urban explorers and artists may appreciate the ability to annotate real places. The creator envisions it as a global community canvas where people encounter unexpected artwork while exploring different locations.

Pricing

The site does not show prices.

How it stands out

Most street view annotation tools treat drawings as flat overlays on top of imagery. I Was Here differentiates by projecting strokes onto 3D geometry, so artwork responds to the actual spatial layout of buildings and streets. This creates a more immersive experience where drawings feel integrated into the real environment rather than applied on top of it. The real-time multiplayer aspect, where users see concurrent drawings from others, adds a social discovery element.

What a founder should check

A competitor should investigate whether Mapillary's terms of service permit this use case. The platform provides street imagery but may have restrictions on commercial or public annotation layers. Understanding these constraints is critical before investing in a similar product.

Second, validate the switching cost problem. Users invest time creating artwork at specific locations. If a competitor can import or migrate existing drawings to their platform, the moat weakens significantly. Early founders should explore whether location-based drawing data can be easily exported or ported between services.

Third, examine the monetization ceiling. Drawing on street view is inherently free-to-play. Understanding what conversion paths exist—premium features, creator tools, or enterprise licensing to cities and tourism boards—helps determine if this can sustain a business at scale. Compare pricing models from existing location-based creativity tools to understand market expectations.