Andy Dunn's Pie app pivots to social network with new 'Community Homes'

Key facts

• Pie has launched a new 'Community Homes' feature to create permanent social groups.
• The app aims to facilitate real-world connections beyond single events.
• Community Homes will include group feeds, admin controls, and event planning tools.
• The update follows previous changes to emphasize people over events.
• Pie has grown to around 300,000 users.

Pie, the social app founded by Bonobos founder Andy Dunn, is shifting its focus from being primarily an events app to a social network with the launch of its new 'Community Homes' feature. This update allows users to establish more permanent digital spaces for their social groups, offering an alternative to existing communication tools like group texts and Facebook Groups.

The app, which has attracted around 300,000 users and is backed by investors including Forerunner, Lightspeed, and Accel, aims to foster real-world connections. The 'Community Homes' feature provides each group with its own feed, admin and membership controls, a shareable homepage, and event planning resources. The company plans to introduce group chats and a feature for casual connection requests, such as asking to 'hang out and craft together.'

This move follows previous adjustments designed to emphasize the social aspect of the app. Last December, Pie altered its activity feed to show which of a user's contacts were attending an event, which reportedly increased app usage time from two minutes to ten minutes. More recently, a 'favorites' feature was added to allow users to build public profiles based on their interests.

Dunn was inspired to create Pie after experiencing difficulty finding community in Chicago, coinciding with a growing trend among Gen Z to join social clubs. He envisions Pie as a platform that facilitates spontaneous encounters and deeper connections, likening it to a 'Reddit for IRL.' Nadya Okamoto, co-founder and CMO, described Pie as embodying the original promise of platforms like Facebook and Reddit, focusing on community building as the primary driver, with events as a natural outcome.