Abode
Fresh take on group spaces with friends.
325 followers
Fresh take on group spaces with friends.
325 followers
Abode is the best place to hang out on your phone. Multiplayer widgets in a space where you and your friends can craft your own social.
Abode
A while ago I started exploring social with the mindset of creating something fun. I ended up creating something deeply meaningful.
When I started Abode it was out of frustration. How have we moved to a state of social that cares more about how you’re perceived than connection. Growing up from when social was all about connection I often became frustrated that group chats are all that remain for that space.
Don’t get me wrong it’s not all bad. A lot of great things have come out of this era of social. I just always wished for more than a chat for my close friends and family.
I wanted to create a space that felt as unique as each of my friendship groups. One that wasn’t restricted to a chat thread or functionality, I always felt that chat was this weird state of social where you’re waiting on a response, it didn’t allow for some of the best moments which are often spontaneous. Chats felt like more of a chore to keep up with, than something I wanted to be part of.
The result of this was Abode. a hyper personal, create your own social, blank canvas. it allows you to add unique functionality through the form of widgets (which we call magnets). This allows you to have a unique experience depending on how you build your space. More games? More organisation? More social? The beauty of this is it’s up to you.
This resulted in what I’ve ended up calling social through presence vs social through action. I’d be playing a real life game with a friend and update our score note in the Abode and other friends jump in and congratulate on the win. No message was needed, no context was given. Social just happened.
I’ve seen friends who wouldn’t normally go out of their way to message each other play gruelling games of connect4 with each other because they saw someone was online and playing.
It’s this idea of someone else’s presence triggering a natural hangout that’s low pressure. Not someone messaging, asking if you’re around and waiting for a response. It’s a blend between async and real time that just works.
Congrats on the launch, Joseph! 🎉 Abode looks like such a refreshing take—as an introvert who dreads the 'message chore' but still craves connection, this hits home. Love how it makes hanging out feel spontaneous yet low-pressure (no awkward 'you free?' texts!). Brilliant work.
P.S. Any plans for an Android version if this takes off on iOS? Asking for my fellow introverts on the other side. 👀
Abode
@rani_zagita Haha yes! Right now this is just the initial start of a moment I want to start in social with shocker makes social... social. Assuming all goes well we have a lot lined up to improve product and make this an overall better experience. A big part of that is supporting every platform. So Android would be a focus in that reality yes!
Thank you for your support ❤️
PageAI
OMG this is so nicely done!
I am in absolute awe with the app, it's my new favorite UX! 🥹
Abode
@dan_mindru thank you!
Surfer
Absolutely love the vibe you’re creating here. The energy, the idea, and the concept behind this app are truly refreshing.
In a world full of overly serious, utility-driven products, it’s such a joy to see someone bringing playfulness and emotion back into the mix. Design with personality matters it makes people feel something, and that’s how lasting connections with users are built.
We’ve seen so many apps fall into the trap of being purely functional. But fun, delight, and a bit of magic? That’s what makes an experience memorable. And I feel like you’re on to something special here.
Massive kudos for taking a bold approach and going against the grain. Rooting for you and this product.
Good luck with the launch, I’ll be following along closely!
Abode
@michal_porada Thank you, it means a lot. I think peoples habits are fixed in place when it comes to traditional social. So we wanted to break out of the norm a bit. We're not a feed, we're not a messenger. We're something entirely different, a space. And although bold and ambitious I am hopeful that social eventually moves into this direction where it values personal connections and relationships that matters more than how you're seen online.
Thanks for the support ❤️
Abode is the best social/chat app I’ve used. The magnets are a great feature which enhances chat and interactions with friends. Abode made planning trips easier, made communication more dynamic and enjoyable, and it increased my connection with my friends even when not together. I’ve recommended everyone get it!
Finally, social that doesn’t feel like a notification marathon, this actually sounds... peaceful?
Wondering how customizable the magnets are and can folks build their own or remix existing ones?
@aliszu @peterc1731
Abode
@shantanusewu this is actually something we built into the magnet engine from the start. It's built with eventually being able to open up the system for engineers/creatives to build their own magnets or as you mentioned "remix" existing ones and publish them. It's not our focus at this time to enable this feature as still requires a bit of work on our end to support this. But its definitely the goal.
Netlify
Abode
@thisiskp_ Thank you! Right now our viral loop are our magnets. If someone plays a game in your space that notification "Joe is playing ascend" doesn't just tell you their playing a game it says "Joe has at least 5 mins free if you want to hangout" these sort of triggers are much more valuable than "Joe posted to instagram" because they capture a moment, a moment that can be joined in.
We do intend to think more about the product at its core as we move forward. Start answering the core questions like, who uses abode, why do they use it and how do they use it. And with that we can narrow/craft the experience to tailor those people more creating more viral loops and ensuring we make the best product for those people.
Building out like this and then eventually growing to support more types of people/types of groups is a more sustainable way to go vs a hyper growth model. We want to nail the product first and then huge growth comes later.
We're just at the start of this journey, and at the core believe in the problem. "Social isn't personal", abode is just my first take and therefore start of how that problem could be solved in creating more natural social spaces that exist with people who matter.