The people behind the party

You can get a stranger to drive you across town in four taps and rent a house in Barcelona in five. But hiring a bartender for Saturday still means asking a friend of a friend, then waiting on a quote, then hoping they show.

Meanwhile there are thousands of talented people in Austin — service industry pros, working musicians, photographers between weddings — with open nights and no easy way to fill them. Clink connects those two sides and gets out of the way.

• Pricing should be visible before you talk to anyone.
• Availability should be real, not "let me check and get back to you."
• Reviews should come from people who actually paid for the work.
• Pros should keep their full rate and skip the admin.

We're starting in one city on purpose. Depth beats breadth: enough bartenders, DJs, photographers and party help that whatever night you need, someone great is free. Then the next city.