Somewhere Good Raises $3.75M Seed Funding

The Shift from Individualism to Collectivism in Social Media

The foundation of most contemporary social media platforms centers around the concept of individual identity. Users establish profiles, select profile pictures, and craft brief self-descriptions, subsequently broadcasting their thoughts to others through their digital personas.

However, Naj Austin, the creator of Ethel’s Club, challenged this established norm with the launch of Somewhere Good last year.

A New Vision for Connection

Austin posits that, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a desire for collectivism surpasses the need for individual expression. She is actively reshaping the social media landscape, prioritizing community and centering the experiences of people of color.

Securing Funding for Growth

Somewhere Good recently announced the successful completion of a $3.75 million seed funding round. This round was spearheaded by True Ventures, with participation from existing investors like Dream Machine, Debut Capital, and Canvas Ventures.

New investors joining the round include Slauson & Co., NextView Ventures, and 2PM Inc. The investment also saw contributions from prominent angel investors such as Ellen Pao of Project Include and actress Gabrielle Union.

Strategic Allocation of Funds

The acquired capital will be strategically allocated to further product innovation and the expansion of the company’s current team of nine individuals.

Austin explained the necessity of venture backing, stating, “Ensuring widespread access to a secure and genuine community on mobile devices requires substantial resources to achieve in a manner that remains enjoyable for users.”

She further emphasized the importance of financial investment in expertise, adding, “To develop a platform that incorporates insights from consultants focused on accessibility, safety, and privacy, adequate compensation is essential.”

Cultivating Connection: The Core of Somewhere Good

Somewhere Good is a mobile application designed to connect individuals and nurture those connections within exclusively group-based environments, catering to a wide spectrum of interests. Examples include birdwatching groups specifically for people of color, or book clubs centered around anti-capitalist ideologies.

The concept for this platform originated from Austin’s previous venture, Ethel’s Club, a subscription-based community for people of color. Members frequently requested diverse activities – cooking groups, therapist recommendations, and wellness circles. Austin found herself functioning as a central information resource, and Ethel’s Club organically evolved to encompass various groups and needs.

“This approach, however, proved unsustainable in terms of scalability,” she noted. “We began to consider the development of a technological infrastructure to support the requirements of communities like Ethel’s Club.” Consequently, Somewhere Good emerged as a social search platform enabling users to join, communicate, and discover new communities.

Users can explore and participate in different “worlds,” or communities, aligned with their interests. Within these worlds, they can share content, engage in real-time audio conversations, and contribute to the collective experience. The platform encourages the citation of sources to foster informed discussion and nuanced perspectives.

“For instance, if an article by Angela Davis is shared within the ‘Abolition World,’ it can also be identified as being present in the ‘Black Feminists’ world,” Austin explained. “This cross-referencing is intended to encourage exploration of related communities and broaden users’ understanding.”

Austin emphasized a decentralized approach, where no single individual or host dictates the experience. Instead, the focus is on empowering the community to collaboratively shape a dynamic and evolving environment. This represents her response to the current trend of incorporating community features into numerous startups.

“The term ‘community’ has become a prevalent buzzword, with many platforms attempting to integrate it,” she stated. “My experience over the past year and a half has highlighted the necessity of intimacy, nuance, collaboration, and the serendipitous connection of individuals with shared identities.”

The successful implementation of Somewhere Good’s vision will largely depend on its product, which is still in its early stages of development. Currently, Austin’s team is deliberately removing elements considered “empty noise” from other social media platforms. As it stands, Somewhere Good features no advertisements, user profiles, friend requests, following features, or traditional news feeds.

This deliberate differentiation also presents one of Somewhere Good’s most significant challenges.

“Introducing something novel can initially feel restrictive to users,” she acknowledged. “Removing profiles, for example, might be perceived as a drawback, rather than a benefit that alleviates the pressure of maintaining a curated online persona.”

The startup is currently evaluating user responses to these fundamental structural changes over the coming weeks. Furthermore, Somewhere Good has launched SHIFT, a year-long fellowship program with a $50,000 fund, to invite individuals to join the team, provide product feedback, and contribute to the development of the community. This initiative also allows for exploration of the concepts Austin is currently experimenting with.

“We recognize that we won’t immediately create the ideal platform for everyone, but we’ve established a fellowship to gather insights and facilitate the iterative development process essential for building a successful product.”

The Launch of Somewhere Good

Initial plans targeted a beta release in January 2020, however, the launch has been rescheduled for the latter portion of 2021. This delay allows the development team additional time for product refinement and optimization.

The initial beta phase will be exclusive, operating on an invitation-only basis. This will encompass 50 to 75 pre-approved communities, alongside their respective members, vetted by Somewhere Good, and approximately 5,000 individuals currently on the waiting list.

Monetization Strategy

Somewhere Good’s approach to monetization is currently in its nascent stages. The founder indicates that a concentrated focus on revenue generation will commence once the application achieves substantial user scale.

Competitive Landscape

Clubhouse, a similarly oriented platform with a valuation of $1 billion, presents a potential competitive force. Clubhouse emphasizes community interaction and spontaneous engagement.

Clubhouse features a discovery page designed to facilitate the exploration of diverse clubs. Furthermore, they have established a creator network to consistently deliver premium content to their user base.

Austin acknowledges Clubhouse as a “solid company,” but suggests they have encountered challenges with fundamental questions.

She believes viable solutions exist that Clubhouse has deliberately chosen not to integrate into its platform, citing this as a conscious decision on their part.

A Different Approach

Currently, Austin remains unconcerned by the competition.

She posits that many existing platforms primarily repackage existing concepts, stating, “There’s nothing wrong with repainting, but then it’s just repainting.” She views genuine innovation as a significant opportunity.

“I believe if we get Somewhere Good right, it can replace many of the apps on your phone,” Austin stated. She emphasizes that the greatest value users derive from their mobile devices, beyond basic utilities, comes from connections with trusted friends and acquaintances.