Show HN: Delightful – Make friends at work, IRL. Good idea/bad idea?

[thehappyyeti]

So, recently got into an accelerator and I wanted to build something in a space I'm familiar with but also wanted to solve a social issue.

I'm really passionate about the future of work and the idea of human connection and have been intrigued with the correlated rise of mental health issues.

Turns out 64% of NA adults are lonely and workplace loneliness has just been exacerbated by the pandemic and the confusing work situations.

So I thought to myself: well what if I can meet people in the workplace who's also into Philosophy, Art, and Lord of the Rings?

So I came up with Delightful: intimate in-person micro-meetups for the workplace based on complementary personality types & shared interests on autopilot (all you have to do is say Yes!)

I think it'd be cool to have a Philosophy & Lunch session with 4 other strangers (maybe from different departments) this month, and a Paint Night session the next.

What do you guys think about this? Is this something you'd use? I'd like to validate the idea.

Would love to hear your thoughts, but please be nice :) Peace and love ya'll!

[hitsurume]

I don't think this solves the loneliness problem and seems more of a fad idea.

I think of my relationships with people in two categories, you have your "real" friends, and you have your convenient friends. The only reason you are targeting your coworkers or colleagues because they are the most convenient people near you.

People are lonely because they don't have "real" friends. I think of "real" friends are people who just care about you. Who notie you are not in a good mood. Who know they havnt talked to you in a few days/weeks and reach out to see how you're doing. People who would wake pick you up at the airport or to help you move.

A lot of this is a cutural thing. In the US, the culture is very individualistic and independent. It's more about "me" and less about "us".

This is all my opinion, but I have also thought about this a lot too.

[thehappyyeti]

Hey hitsurume,

I agree. But don’t you think convenient friends are the gateway to “real” friends?

Some of my work friends from my previous job have become lifelong friends. And even though we all work at different places now, we still put in the effort to hang out from time to time. We would even call each other now and then.

I think there is an emergence of the idea of “camaraderie” and “togetherness” as the individualistic culture is slowly being phased away. IMO people now more than ever are looking for communities and are longing for deep human connections.

Maybe I’m just naive, but I do believe that as we usher in the era of artificial, people will crave more authentic experiences.