In 2025, social media will focus on the real world. Have you heard of apps like Partiful or TImeleft? These "IRL" (in-real-life) social media apps are growing more and more in popularity.
Google named Partiful the "Best app of 2024". Timeleft is an app that allows you to have "dinner with strangers" every Wednesday night.
Why we care: These IRL social apps don't have a network effect, unlike Facebook & Instagram. This makes the segment open to bootstrapped competitors (like you..hint...hint).
If you're a millennial (or older) and haven't heard about these apps, don't worry. That's why we're here for :)
"Dinner with strangers" sounds very impressive to me. I would like to join.
In 2025, social media is shifting focus to the real world, with apps like Partiful and Timeleft gaining momentum. These "IRL" (in-real-life) apps are gaining popularity for their focus on offline experiences rather than virtual connections. Partiful was even named "Best app of 2024" by Google, and Timeleft encourages people to join "dinner with strangers" every Wednesday night.
Why it matters: These apps don’t rely on network effects like Facebook or Instagram, making the space ripe for new, bootstrapped competitors. If you’re a millennial (or older) and haven’t heard of them, now you know! These apps might just be the future of social media.