When we started WithMe, we had a simple hypothesis: people want to connect, they just need an excuse to do it.
Last month, a user named Zain posted a Vibe: "Want to try that new board game cafe downtown. Need 3-4 people who don't take Monopoly too seriously."
Within an hour, four people requested to join. None of them knew each other.
"I almost didn't go," said Sarah, one of the attendees. "I was sitting in my car in the parking lot for ten minutes debating whether to just drive home. It felt like I was walking into a blind date, but with four people."
Breaking the Ice
The genius of Zain's plan was the activity. "You don't have to force conversation when you're arguing about sheep and brick trades in Catan," he laughed.
By the end of the two-hour session, the awkwardness had entirely dissolved. They realized three of them worked in similar industries, and two lived in the same neighborhood.
The Second Hangout
The true test of any new connection is whether the second hangout happens.
Instead of letting the group chat die, Sarah took the initiative two days later: "Who's down for street food this Thursday?" All four said yes.
Today, three months later, they hang out almost every weekend. They've gone from strangers on an app to a genuine friend group.
"It's crazy to think we all lived within a 5-mile radius of each other for years and probably never would have met otherwise," Zain said.
This is exactly why we built WithMe. No algorithms. No endless swiping. Just an excuse to get out of the house and meet your neighbors.