Finding people who share your active passion – going on hikes, cycling, running, whatever it may be – is quite a challenge. Friends and family don't always engage in the same sports activities as you, and making new friends at the gym or on a rock can be quite embarrassing. Like trying your luck with random Facebook or WhatsApp groups. Step forward Liveliness, a Spanish startup building a community app around shared sports passions.
The freemium app, introduced this week at 4YFN during the MWC trade show, allows users to set up a profile to find others with similar active interests.
There is a chat function and the ability for users to set up events that other users can register to join. It also includes updates on organized events (not by users), aimed at learning and improving in various sports branches, such as running clubs, street yoga, gymnastics meetups, and more. These may include paid events, giving the startup a path to earn commissions. It also plans to generate revenue through a premium version of the app, with additional features for subscribers.
Helping users connect with certified sports trainers is another additional design goal for the app.
Founder and CEO Marco Savino said he had the idea because he was eager to find people to go out with for a walk and was not impressed with other meetup apps (including the veteran player in this space, Meetup) – seeing a gap for an app dedicated to sporting types. "The core idea of the app is that people can create plans together," he told us. "For example, I want to go to the beach tomorrow and run – so you can post your plan and people can join."
The app was launched congratulations almost a year ago but received a significant update last summer. "We started in August last year to improve the app and get all the feedback," Savino said. "We – mainly here in Spain – have about 2,300 users in total. In the last three months, people have really started using the app, planning programs, creating events."
Users' ages range from young to middle age. There is also a great mix of sports interest areas – and users can tag one or several interest areas – but running is currently the most popular.
"We just tried to make the app as simple as possible so that people can understand and know how to use it," he added. "If you go to see all the programs you can see people talking and having a few meetings, so it's really nice to see people starting to understand the app and use it."
As mainstream social networks feel more and more broken as tools for human connection, there may be an opportunity for niche social networks like this one to quietly flourish and build traction by creating friendlier and more community-focused spaces that focus on shared interests. Fitness tracking app Strava is definitely becoming more active on the social networks front.
Pouring out frustrations in online culture wars is not a pleasant pastime for most people. Why not dial down on the noise and anger of X and co. and try networking with a smaller circle that may actually help broaden your social circle?
