Onin: Calendar & Chat for Event Planning - Simplified

The Convergence of Calendars and Messaging: Introducing Onin

Imagine a scenario where your preferred calendar application and messaging platform functioned as a single, unified entity. This concept forms the foundation of Onin, a U.K.-based startup aiming to streamline event planning through a more organized and efficient application.

The Rise of Digital Calendars and Their Limitations

The increasing importance of calendars, particularly in the wake of the pandemic and the surge in virtual meetings, has prompted a reevaluation of existing time-management tools. Digital calendars, while essential, often present limitations that have come under increased scrutiny.

This scrutiny has spurred a wave of startup innovation in the scheduling space. Companies like Calendly and Reclaim.ai offer solutions for more effective meeting management, often referred to as “smart calendar assistants.” Magical is also exploring ways to enhance calendar collaboration.

Onin's Collaborative Approach: A Consumer-First Strategy

Onin adopts a similar collaborative approach, initially focusing on consumer needs. The goal is to become the preferred application for arranging social gatherings, such as drinks with friends or planning trips. The founder envisions a potential expansion into professional settings through a consumer-driven adoption strategy.

But why introduce yet another app for coordinating events like birthday celebrations? Onin argues that current digital tools create a frustratingly impersonal and cumbersome experience for multiperson event planning.

Addressing the Asymmetry of Event Planning

Traditional calendars often place event creation and control in the hands of a single individual. This leads to planning asymmetry, where only the event creator can make changes that are synchronized across all participants. This frequently results in lengthy email threads as attendees attempt to coordinate details and request updates from the organizer.

Onin proposes an alternative by integrating chat and calendar functionalities into a single platform, aiming to create a seamless scheduling experience: “One place to find time and plan events without leaving the chat.” The application will also integrate with existing calendar software to ensure event synchronization.

The Core Philosophy: Chat-First, Not Event-First

Founder Ryan Brodie explains, “We’re starting from the consumer and consumer meetup side; however we strongly believe (and have already proven) Onin’s usefulness across sectors.” He emphasizes that Onin prioritizes chat over events, noting that 95% of planning occurs through conversation rather than direct event editing.

Brodie attributes the challenges of group scheduling to the fragmentation inherent in the long-standing iCalendar standard (RFC 5545), established in 1998. This standard allows different scheduling services to interpret and process calendar information, but also contributes to the difficulties of coordinating events across platforms.

A Patent-Pending Architectural Solution

Onin’s solution involves a patent-pending “architectural solution” that organizes events from a calendaring perspective, rather than being tied to a specific user. Essentially, the organizer is treated as a group email address, allowing Onin to manage synchronization effectively.

This approach aims to eliminate the friction between event planning and communication channels, enabling more spontaneous and collaborative planning.

Differentiating Onin from Existing Solutions

Brodie asserts, “No one has solved this problem before.” He highlights the decentralized and non-canonical nature of calendaring standards, which Onin addresses by creating a centralized and canonical event system.

He positions Onin as a superior alternative to Microsoft Teams, aiming for an easy-to-use, versatile product that seamlessly syncs event information across diaries. Unlike Calendly, Onin sends invites to all users, fostering full collaboration and providing a history of changes within the platform.

Early Traction and Future Development

The product, launched on Product Hunt in August, is currently in its MVP phase. Onin has already secured $1 million in pre-seed funding, demonstrating strong investor confidence.

The company has garnered over 400 early-access program participants, indicating significant demand for a combined chat and calendar solution. The team is actively developing integrations with Zoom, Typeform, Calendly, Notion, and Google Workspace.

“We own the event that is synced to everyone’s diaries, it all links back to Onin,” Brodie explains. “We have a unique, patent pending Talk around time chat UI that makes all of this possible.” The platform also features a Notion-inspired group/subgroup system for easy follow-up event creation and subplan development.

Onin’s ambition is to become the central hub for event-based discussions, eliminating the need to switch between multiple applications.