Ex-Hinge Executives Innovate Social Planning App

Managing social plans with friends has become a complex task amid busy schedules and numerous digital communications. Aiming to simplify this, Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan, former leaders at Hinge, introduced Rodeo — a novel app crafted to streamline social planning.

Introducing Rodeo

Rodeo, recently released in beta on Apple's App Store, is the brainchild of Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan. Both experienced the struggles of arranging meetups, especially as parents, and wanted to offer a solution. The app's vision, as explained by CEO Levy, is to enhance long-term friendships by making plans easily manageable.

Upon receiving media content or screenshots of potential gatherings, Rodeo extracts necessary details to facilitate decision-making. Essentially, it serves as a supportive tool, described by Levy as akin to having an extra memory dedicated to organizing hangouts.

Harnessing Technology

Underneath its user-friendly interface, Rodeo employs artificial intelligence to interpret and process conversation contexts, thanks to its use of a large language model (LLM). Although integral to the app's functionality, the founders emphasize that AI is not the central theme of their company.

Financial backing for Rodeo includes contributions from venture and angel investors, ensuring the continual growth of their innovative platform, though specific amounts remain undisclosed.

Navigating the Friendship Landscape

Rodeo enters a market eager to combat the 'friendship recession,' joining other platforms looking to nurture interpersonal relationships. Unlike competitors focused on forming new connections, Rodeo enhances existing ones by facilitating regular interactions amongst established friends.

Currently, around 20,000 individuals are keen to explore Rodeo's offerings, with approximately 5,000 already experiencing its capabilities. Projected for a full launch in 2026, the app will introduce more collaborative features to enrich the user experience.

Reinforcing Bonds

Rather than replacing existing communication methods, Rodeo complements them. Levy emphasizes the app's role in transforming online engagement into meaningful, real-world interactions, ultimately enriching the time spent with loved ones.