twine is magic, and I can’t really explain why :(

So for the past few weeks, we’ve been testing twine - a new company / product that I co-founded that delivers meaningful one to one conversations via video chat - with a group of about 150 private beta testers.

And it’s been magical. It’s everything that I hoped it would be, and it’s already brought me immense joy. I’ve met new people. I’ve heard incredible stories. I’ve been able to get heavy, paralyzing topics off my chest. I’ve been moved to tears, have lol’ed, have had chill, low key moments, and have met new people that I totally want to be friends with, despite being on corona lockdown.  

It’s not just me who is saying this. We’ve earned a jaw-dropping NPS of 85 across 16 twine gatherings, and ~800 conversations. Our (non-fake!) App Store reviews are so good, they look fake.

But here is my problem.

I’m struggling to put into words exactly why twine is having this impact on me and others. And if you can’t describe the “why,” as an entrepreneur trying to fan a tiny flame into a bonfire, you have a problem. What do you put on the website? How do you explain it to your friends? Who is your target audience?

So I figured it might just help to write about some of the conversations I had via twine, and see if I can start to shake loose the answer.

I met a NYC ICU doctor who had started showing symptoms three days prior, and had been pulled out of rotation. She was exhausted, lonely, and fearful of infecting her boyfriend. She was eager to kick the virus, and return to the fight. She was inspiring and impactful and strong in a way that a New York Times article about her could not be. She shared with me a window into the front lines, and I am grateful for it.

I met a highly successful tech worker who was battling demons from childhood about body image, and utterly illogical fears that she should be farther in her career than she is. She inspired me with her courage and vulnerability.

I met a guy who had just been laid off, another indirect victim of Covid. He felt he could stay afloat for 6 months+, but wasn’t sure after that. He told me about how his parents had always been careless with money, and thankfully, that made him super careful. I met him 3 hours after he had gotten the call from HR. It was raw, human, authentic, and a high definition window into a painful moment that millions of people are going through.

I met a Brazilian yoga instructor, living in NYC. She told me about her radical, religious upbringing, and how she wasn’t allowed to wear a dress until she was 21. She told me about a brush with God she had in the Dominican Republic, when she was miraculously saved from a dangerous situation.  

I got matched to a guy that, pre corona, I would play basketball and tennis every week. I thought I knew him well, but in 8 minutes, it turns out that I didn’t. He told me about about his spiritual journey with psychedelic drugs, and how it’s changed the way he viewed the world. I had no idea.

And then there was a conversation with a recently divorced dad, that somehow unlocked 35 year old memories of my own parents’ divorce. I suddenly found myself talking about things with a stranger, that I hadn’t shared with anyone, ever. It all just came tumbling out.  

And so many more.

Which brings me back to my problem.  

What is this thing we have put out into the world? What is the problem that we are solving? What is the itch we are scratching? How do you get people to try something that they don’t know that they need?

So here we are.  

It’s early days for our tiny company. We have a product that seems to be delivering incredible impact, but that I don’t know how to describe or market. This is uncharted territory for me, and it’s kind of stressing me out.

If you feel like helping me get to the answer on the problem of twine, I’d love to hear from you.