What was the catalyst for launching Playsee?
Playsee was developed based on the desires for local connectivity. People want to build relationships, they want to form connections with others in their neighbourhood and be aware of the local happenings around them. Additionally, more and more people are eager to build these connections, meet new people and become more rooted within their communities.
We want to bring the social aspect back into social media. Instead of users spending hours scrolling through content from around the world, our aim is to help users connect with their community and topics of interest in their area. We want to redefine how social media is being used in our daily lives and bring the gaps between online to offline experiences. That’s how Playsee was born.
Tell me about the business – what it is, what it aims to achieve, who you work with, and so on?
Playsee is the designated social media platform for neighbourhood-centric connectivity and discovery. Playsee highlights everyday moments of people, places and events happening in the community where users engage with local content and share experiences from their daily lives.
Playsee provides a space for everyone in the community to have a voice, encouraging authentic, relatable and localised content and topics of interest. Unlike traditional social media platforms emphasising on trending content from around the world, Playsee highlights the places and topics that are relevant to users’ everyday lives and locations.
How has the business evolved since its launch? When was this?
Playsee was launched in 2021 in the US after officially coming out of beta and became available to all users and creators. Since its launch, Playsee has gained over 30 million downloads globally, bringing people closer to their neighbourhoods. It is also localised for 23 languages.
Even now, two years after our initial launch in 2021, we can still see this longing for discovering local gems and places to eat and drink, as well as things to do nearby.
How are you funded?
Playsee is privately funded by Silicon Valley institutions.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how have you overcome this?
Our biggest challenge so far has been bringing a brand new concept to the social media landscape. The social media market value in 2023 is estimated to be $140B, and is on a trajectory to grow to $183B by 2027. In recent years many apps have been developed and launched to enter that market. Most, however, promote highly curated content that builds unrealistic ideals and expectations. Playsee has challenged this and aims to address some of the problems we face nowadays – and succeeded through its unique concept that is entirely built around location-based content, not just interest-based, as well as filter-less and authentic content.
How does Playsee answer an unmet need?
Playsee’s neighbourhood-centric concept stems from the core idea of interpersonal connection – familiarity and proximity. People naturally care about things that are part of their community and affect their everyday life. Playsee is the first social media platform that captures this unfilled gap in the market and redefines how content is suggested on social media.
On the app, users have the opportunity to engage with other locals over shared interests. They are able to ask questions about what’s going on in their areas and join in local topics they want to know more about. This creates connections and a sense of community, which they are longing for.
The content and discussions on Playsee are all location-based. Users can see things happening around them in their current location, discover cool new spots nearby that they haven’t noticed before, and connect with people in their area that have the same interests.
Playsee can reshape the way people use social media. Having a sense of community gives a layer of familiarity to the content people see, and the way people interact with each other on social media, encouraging people to make real life connections, for example visiting local businesses and making local connections. It is no longer about following unattainable lifestyles, parasocial relationships, but setting an example for people to know that they have a greater voice, and the little moments in their lives are worth sharing and appreciated.
What one piece of advice would you give other founders or future founders?
In a startup culture where you’re facing constant change, it’s important to always keep in mind the big picture. This has allowed us to gain perspective and clarity when facing new opportunities or different areas of improvement. Taking the ‘big picture’ perspective means we can lead on a clear vision for the whole team to drive growth for the business.
And finally, a more personal question! What’s your daily routine and the rules you’re living by at the moment?
I prefer my meetings to be in the morning to align on goals and daily tasks with everyone in the team. There are always new ideas shared by the team members regardless of seniority so it’s important for me to stay humble and optimistic. Being open-minded allows the whole team to grow together and take ownership of their own work with a clear vision.
Veronica Lin is Head of User Experience and Communications at Playsee.