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FriendApp
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Chuck Walter

FriendApp - Organize new and old contacts, foster mindful connection.

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FriendApp is a layer on top of your iPhone contacts. Once installed, you can sync to see recently added people. Add contacts to lists, so you can keep people top of mind and recall context. Use FriendApp to create text groups, launch 1:1 texting or WhatsApp

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Chuck Walter
Maker
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Hi. I'm Chuck Walter, founder of FriendApp. I got the idea for FriendApp after reading a book called Single on Purpose, which really opened my eyes to the importance of finding my tribe and doing more of what I enjoy. I spend a large amount of my time with my daughters. I had tried using dating apps after separating from a 12-year marriage, and it dawned on me how few friends I could name that I would actually chat with / or make plans to see. I would meet people at events, but never really follow up. I realized that while social media kept me entertained and engaged, the people I saw there weren't necessarily my close friends nor were they people that lived nearby. So I tried organizing all my contacts into a spreadsheet to better identify friends. The contacts app on iPhone hasn't been touched in ages, so I set out on a product that could be a better starting off point to more intentional communication and plan making. My favorite feature is actually just being able to sync my phone for recent contacts, so I can follow up with new people I've met. And I also keep a list of neighborhood friends and acquaintances so I can periodically revisit that. Often new people you meet need greater visibility so that you can remember to stay in touch, but with so many of us working remote, we need to sort of hack that repetition. A quick note on my background, I spent 15+ years leading digital products for Univision.com. I loved managing our online community products in particular, and seeing people connect and find others with similar interests. And I received so much joy seeing people who met online, later meeting up in the physical world. Back in the day, our products were used primarily from a computer. I think seeing people so glued to their phones, has made me recognize how much time is now spent away from nurturing local relationships. I want to create tech that will help bring us together so that we put away our phones for a bit. I truly hope that some people here will download FriendApp and begin using it for its intended purpose, to help shine a spotlight on the contacts you wish to nurture your relationships with. It's very easy for us to think about the people at the top of our feeds, but take a moment to reflect on all those amazing people you've met who aren't sharing their lives on social media. Do you have a good way to keep them top of mind? Thank you @eduardo_lopez_amaya @alejandra_delgado and @Carlos_Lopez23 for all your work on the product to get us to this stage. We still have a long road ahead and a large backlog of features to foster more intentional connection and real-life plan making. FYI. If you try the product, please note that contact names and phone numbers are stored encrypted. I welcome your thoughts and feedback as we try to enrich people's lives :)
sree sreenivasan
😹 LOL
@eduardo_lopez_amaya @alejandra_delgado @carlos_lopez23 @charleswalter Mama said, "Don't label people," but I love labeling, categorizing, etc. Too few apps offer this feature. LI would be 100% more useful if it allowed labels (as it did for a nano second a decade-plus ago). Looking forward to trying this. Given how fussy (in a good way!) Apple is about privacy, how come you've not run into issues with your tech. Thanks and good luck!
Chuck Walter
Maker
Thank you @sree. I couldn't agree more. I grew up categorizing my 32K baseball cards as a kid, and I think that instilled in me an appreciation for groupings of people. Regarding privacy, we have a clear disclaimer before the import process with a link to our privacy policy. Unlike some of our competitors, we are encrypting contact names and phone numbers in the database. Also, Apple did require us to offer a delete account option prior to launching. We are very conscious of privacy and hope that people will trust us with their relationship data.
Raechel Lambert
Top Product
Congrats on the launch! I absolutely LOVE what you're building. With everyone so dispersed, it's hard to stay connected!
tawheed abdul-raheeem
Congrats on the launch Chuck! Been a pleasure to see the progress on the app
Anthony Adams
Looks nice. Congrats team
Charles Romestant
Great vision by the team, The idea of facilitating in person interactions through thoughtful curation and reminders is great. It addresses a lot the loneliness in our lives. We are so busy that having some helpful reminders to reach out, or do something in person with real people is a great tech hack for non-tech interactions. thanks team!
Ryan Lambert
The idea of keeping helpful notes about interaction is a huge positive in a time where every app is all about simply keeping your attention. This is getting you to focus on being *thoughtful* towards others. I love that.
Jake Tital
Pushing for you to win product of the day. Love this idea!
Chuck Walter
Maker
@jaketital thx for the support! I think we have a solid v1 and we're excited to continue building out more features. Welcome any thoughts or feedback that could help us improve the product, grow faster, etc :)
Orville Black
From the perspective of an entrepreneur, the journey can often feel solitary, leading to an inadvertent disconnect from friends and those with shared interests. Time constraints and work commitments can make it difficult to maintain these important connections. However, with the Friendapp, maintaining these relationships becomes much easier. It allows you to see who's supporting you, even amidst the demands of your entrepreneurial journey.
Lucinda Lewis
I wish had this solution last month. Solves a big headache for me when attending events and meeting new contacts.
Sebastian Cuartas
Love the antiMeta thesis of this idea… looking forward to cultivating deeper friendships and staying in touch with those we care about.
Quinn Smith
Just downloaded the app. Really like it. I have so many contacts from work, and this app helps me focus on the people that I want to stay in touch with more often. Congrats!
Ayesha Awan
Congratulations on the launch of FriendApp!🚀
Chuck Walter
Maker
thx @ayesha_awan1. I hope you find it useful
COMMAND
Congrats on the launch
Her Trip Planner.Ai
Congrats on the launch! Good luck!
Maali Baali
Exciting times are ahead! Best of luck with your launch.
Darius Bounds
Man!!! I love this! Congrats on the launch Chuck!
Harris Cheng
Launching soon!
@charleswalter Nice launch there Charles! I'd like to learn more about your product. How do you think people will interact more after they've classified their friends in an easier way? Thanks!🙌🏻
Chuck Walter
Maker
@harrischh for now, I'm hoping that the mere visualization will encourage 1:1 messaging for random check-ins, sharing something interesting/funny (relevant to that person), or inviting to some activity. I have found it particularly useful just to follow up with people I met recently. for future features, I see it as a way to facilitate activity inviting/sharing, discovery of common interests. plenty of things we can build on top of this v1 :) if you think about it, most of the time we open social media, we just don't see 90% of the people we actually know. if we can get people in the habit of seeing people they know, then think about the impact. Think about AIM buddy list for example, I think that encouraged that behavior more to some degree
David Ufberg
Great way to bring the community together!
Izabela Kaufman
Great app
savvyblunt
like the idea but dont like the UI.