WHY SIDEKICK?
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People are lonely. Many find it hard to make new friends.
- Almost 50% of Americans have three or fewer friends.
- Almost 40% of Americans reported feelings of “serious loneliness.”
- 12% of Americans said they had no friends whatsoever, up from 3% in the 1990s.
- But people don’t have good places to meet new friends and forge quality real-world friendships.
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Others are frustrated. They have interests their current friends don’t share.
- Our work friends don’t like horror movies.
- Our softball friends don’t like chess.
- Our cosplay friends don’t like poetry.
- Our thrifting friends don’t like to bowl.
- We all have at least one ‘itch’ our circle of friends doesn’t scratch.
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Existing social media keeps us online, isolated, and stressed out.
- This is the open secret of today’s Internet.
- “I don’t want [my nephew] on a social network,”
– Tim Cook, Apple. - “God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains,”
– Sean Parker, Facebook.
Today’s social media landscape is dominated by sites that treat their customers as a product and friendship as a competition. Chasing “likes” and comparing follower counts, we feel less connected the more time we spend online. Game-like features and provocation-oriented algorithms keep us addicted but feeling less fulfilled. It’s time for something new.
Our Core Values
Humanity
- We care about people.
- We are active listeners who take time to know, respect, and appreciate our users and team members. We set aside our individual egos in service of the greater goal.
- We recognize that no one is an island, and no one flourishes alone.
- We aim to embody the best traits of humanity: sincerity, optimism, kindness, playfulness, and generosity. We value fun and believe that happiness is life’s greatest gift.
- We believe that human needs and desires should drive the future of technology, not the other way around. Technology should serve to benefit, uplift, and connect, not to damage, divide, or demoralize.
Authenticity
- We strive to embrace our true selves.
- We live our lives as we really are, not as airbrushed, curated versions of someone else’s ideal.
- We are comfortable being uncomfortable. We challenge the norm, push boundaries, and say what we truly think. We speak up and make ourselves heard.
- We are unafraid to be vulnerable, ask questions, and admit what we don’t know. We join with others in collaborative growth.
- We embrace our individual stories, strengths, and challenges. We delight in diversity of all kinds, including of race, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, and physical ability. Above all, we value diversity of experiences and perspectives.
Audacity
- We take risks, challenge assumptions, learn, and adapt.
- We are bold. We think big, aim high, and don’t shy away from hard things. We intend nothing less than to revolutionize the way Americans make friends.
- We embrace an abundance mindset. We are generous with our time, talents, and resources.
- We believe in Einstein’s maxim that imagination is more important than knowledge.
- We recognize that it sometimes takes a leap of faith to reach out and meet new people, try new things, or step away from the online world to interact offline. We cheer our users’ courage and celebrate their commitment to seeking a more fulfilling life.
Passion
- We are energized by our mission, our team, and the work we do.
- We are self-starters who work with vitality, heart, and engagement.
- We believe life is meant to be lived in the flesh-and-blood, earth-and-air, real world—not inside our devices.
- We celebrate our users’ interests and pursuits and strive to help our users have fun meeting new people and doing the things they love.
- Our passion extends beyond the workplace. We live balanced lives that allow us to spend time on the many other things we care about – our families, our communities, our health, and our own interests and pursuits.
We want to revolutionize the way people make friends.
Our friends are the people we do things with. We fly kites and knit sweaters. We make music and cook pasta. We play board games and we go for hikes.
Our friends are the people we text when we’re free on a Saturday. We laugh together and adventure together. We share our secret obsessions, whether for K-Pop, Stranger Things, or Jane Austen. We may even cry together.
Our friends enrich our lives. They make us feel comfy, cozy, and warm. We are seen as we are. We belong.
There are friends out there waiting for you. People nearby who also birdwatch, think the Steelers are underrated, or are into black-and-white photography.
Find your people.
Do the things you love.
SHARE AN ADVENTURE.
MAKE A FRIEND.
Do the things you love.
SHARE AN ADVENTURE.
MAKE A FRIEND.
At Sidekick, we believe if you want to make a friend, the best way is to share an experience you both enjoy.