HadtobeHere
Ambient, real-time social networking for physical spaces
21 followers
Ambient, real-time social networking for physical spaces
21 followers
HadtobeHere is an ambient, real-time social networking platform for physical life. Discover who around you is open to conversation, collaboration, friendship, or meeting new people — but only when interest is mutual. Built for cafés, bars, coworking spaces, events, and neighborhoods, HadtobeHere helps transform physical spaces into more socially vibrant, high-engagement community environments.
Hey Product Hunt — Tunji here, founder of HadtobeHere.
I’ve spent the last several years obsessing over hyperlocal community systems and real-world connection.
Before this, I co-founded the public benefit corporation behind The Buy Nothing Project and helped architect the technology platform behind the movement. Watching those communities grow taught me something important:
People still deeply want connection. They just increasingly lack the infrastructure and social permission to initiate it.
Over the last couple of years living in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood, I started noticing how many meaningful conversations almost happen in cafés, bars, bookstores, and shared public spaces — but don’t.
People are open. Curious. Physically proximate. Often clearly on the same wavelength.
But everyone defaults back into the phone.
That observation became the seed for HadtobeHere.
We’re building an ambient, real-time social networking layer for physical life that allows people to quietly signal when they’re open to conversation, collaboration, friendship, or meeting new people — but only when interest is mutual.
Importantly, we’re starting with venues because they already possess trust, culture, density, and community dynamics.
For SMB hospitality venue operators, particularly, we believe HadtobeHere can become a meaningful engagement and retention layer capable of increasing repeat visitation, strengthening customer loyalty, and helping venues intentionally design social energy inside their spaces.
But the broader vision is infrastructure capable of operating anywhere people gather. We think cafés, bars, coworking spaces, bookstores, and other “third places” are some of the most important social infrastructure we have.
We’re launching hyperlocally through a flagship venue strategy in Baltimore and treating growth more like neighborhood organizing than traditional performance marketing.
Still very early. Still building carefully. But deeply excited about where this can go.
Would genuinely love feedback, ideas, skepticism, or thoughts from the community.
Appreciate you taking a look.
— Tunji
A refreshing take on introverted social networking. A lot of people "hope" to be invited into conversation or strike up on organically but lack the invitation. I think this could help fix it. Social networking apps is a space I am familiar with so curious how Baltimore beta goes. Maybe you should get local college kids onboarded... the dining halls, libraries, quads are ripe for this sort of thing.
@joe_setpoint thank you for the support/feedback. I think you’re exactly right. I’ve got some great features already built for the quad/college use case. Users can create their own ‘Connection Windows’ in a single space, or across multiple spaces over a time range. Think of it as a digital layer for organizing a night out for a large social group or conglomeration of groups (thinking Greek Life or Dorm Life scenarios). Looking forward to going live in Baltimore soon. Thanks, again!
Nah this is crazy. Need this in nyc stat.
@greg_genco thank you, Sir! Can’t wait to bring it up 95 as soon as we earn our keep in Baltimore/DC/PHI. Thanks for the feedback!