Maya Watson and Lexi Nishita, co-founders of the new social app why?!, met while working at Netflix. They had a friendly, collegial relationship where they laughed and just vibed well together.
The two worked on the streaming giant's brand and editorial teams, and discovered their skill sets complemented each other: “We're both from Minnesota,” Watson says. “It's a great fit.”
The two moved on to Clubhouse, where Watson was employee number 13 and Nishita number 20, where they also built the social platform's editorial and brand teams, but left after more than a year to become co-founders.
“The workplace was starting to feel increasingly boring, empty and unfulfilling,” Watson says, and they wanted to fix it.
The result is why?!, a new conversation app that's part messaging app, part networking app and part dating app. The founders announced Wednesday that they'd raised $1.65 million in a pre-seed round led by Charles Hudson, managing partner and founder of Precursor Ventures.
The app comes amid what experts are calling America's “loneliness epidemic,” as people feel more isolated and alienated from those around them.
Why?! aims to help people connect.
“We've interviewed and worked with several therapists and psychologists to understand some of the key components of intimacy,” Watson said, adding that people want relationships that are reciprocal, deep and trusting.
While there are already many social media apps on the market, Why?! wants to stand out with its “simplicity and intimacy.” It's currently in private beta mode and plans to officially launch in the fall. The app features a question card game that users can play in private chats, daily questions at the top of the home feed, a Facetime-like feature for chats, and weekly prompts that ask what you're currently up to.
The idea for the name came from the app's head of engineering: “We were looking for something that was like an unanswered question,” Nishita says. “The most common and profound question that anyone can ask is… why? And we ask it over and over again.”
Watson also said the fundraising process was “oddly fun” and that there were no horror stories. “Our cap table is amazing,” Watson said. “As women and founders of color, we've been incredibly lucky and honored to attract investors that we like, trust, and feel comfortable with, and they each bring their own unique wisdom and perspectives to the table.”
At this stage, investors are counting on her and Nishita as founders, she said. They started formally raising money last summer after several pre-seed rounds. They met Hudson, the investor who led the round, through a friend in Hudson's portfolio. The Barclays Black Foundation, managed by Zeal Capital Partners, Full Circle's Virginie Raphael and Clubhouse CTO Mohammad Almarqwai also participated in the round.
Being a founder is far from the comfort of a nine-to-five corporate life. Watson called it an adventure, “the ultimate quest and exploration.” To them, working at Clubhouse is like getting a PhD in startups, they said.
“There was a lot of attention and competition at the time, so the most important lesson we learned was to block out the noise, minimize outside distractions, and keep our heads down and focus on our users and our mission,” Watson said, adding that Netflix taught them the importance of creating a good work environment. “Typically, startups don't think about culture so early on, but because of our time there, we've made it a priority now. We want to build the right conditions for success.”
Currently, the company has four full-time employees and hopes to hire more engineering support as the app officially launches and its user base grows.