Jordan Goodwin’s new social media platform helps people make friends with similar interests—a sort of “Grindr for everything else.”
BY BRENDEN SHUCART
It can be strangely difficult to make friends in the Digital Age, the vast oceans of the internet have a way of making islands of us despite our constant connection. My fiancé, Jordan Goodwin, has a plan to harness those waters and bend them to the purpose of turning strangers into friends.
His solution to the loneliness problem is Meet (the app), a new social media platform which combines geolocation and group chat to help individuals connect with people in the world around them who share their interests, outlooks, and ideals—a sort of “Grindr for everything else.”
Why don’t you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
I’m 30-years-old, I grew up just outside of Detroit, and I live in Hollywood with my fiancé—that’s you—and our two great dogs. You and I recently launched an app designed to help people make friends; we call it “Meet (the app).”
“Making friends is hard—especially once you are out of school—and it sucks being lonely! … When I moved to L.A. in my mid-twenties I found new friends were hard to come by.”
They are pretty great dogs, aren’t they? How did you come to find yourself in the City of Angels?
I originally moved out to L.A. for a programming gig and from there I pretty quickly got recruited by Grindr, where I had the privilege of working for about about three years before leaving to start Meet.
What is Meet (the app)? How does it work?
It’s sort of like Tinder meets Reddit. There are hundreds of groups covering all sorts of communities, interests, and occupations; actors, bookworms, cancer survivors, and so on. You can be a part of as many of these communities as you want, to find neighbors who care about the same stuff you do—and there’s a chat section to join conversations happening nearby.
What problem does Meet solve?
There’s tons of ways to find people for dates and hookups, but there’s really no decent way to find a colleague or friend nearby. That’s what we aim for: to connect people nearby through shared interests.
Why do you feel compelled to help people make friends?
Making friends is hard—especially once you are out of school—and it sucks being lonely! I spent almost my entire life in Michigan and I have an amazing network of friends there. But when I moved to L.A. in my mid-twenties I found new friends were hard to come by.
What did you learn at Grindr that has helped you with Meet?
I learned a lot at Grindr! Meet (the app) isn’t a dating network, but a lot of the principles are the same; I wanted it to be simple, intuitive, and get out of the way so people can connect. I’ve always been really interested in the way we use technology to interact with each other, and I think now that dating apps have made people comfortable with meeting people off the internet they are ready to do so for reasons other than romance.
How is Meet different from other apps designed to connect people?
It’s great to connect with people on Twitter, Tumblr, etc., who you share a lot in common with—but chances are that person is going to live across the country, if not on another continent. Facebook is useful for staying in touch with people who are already an important part of your life, but it isn’t great for meeting new people. At Meet we focus on introducing you to people around you who share your interest.
Who is Meet for?
Well, right now our most robust community is definitely vegans, and it has really taken off in Barcelona. Recently we’ve also seen a lot of activity among PrEP users, dog lovers, and Game of Thrones fans—but there’s really something for everyone. It’s all about connecting you with new friends nearby.
What does the future hold for meet?
We’re really excited to be moving into a new office on Hollywood Boulevard in early January. As we grow, we need help with development and building new communities, so we’re looking for tech and marketing guys, advisors, and investors! Reach out to us: hello@meet-the-app.com.
Meet (the app) is an app to help people make friends with similar interests; it is available for free in the App Store for iOS phones. You can learn more about Meet (the app) at meet.is.
