Maya Watson and Lexi Nisita are co-founders of a new social app called why?! The two met while working on the brand and editorial teams of streaming giant, Netflix, according to Tech Crunch.
They would later realize that they both have skills that complement each other. “We are also both from Minnesota,” Watson said. “We just go together.”
This bond of friendship influenced their decision to move to Clubhouse, where they built out the social platform’s editorial and brand teams. However, after more than a year into the job, they left to become co-founders.
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“The workplace just started to feel more dull, empty, and less fulfilling,” Watson said. This resulted in the founding of a new conversation app that’s part messaging app, part networking app, and part dating app. The founders said why?! seeks to help people connect.
The name of the app was inspired by the app’s head of engineering, Cody Zhang.
“We were looking for something that felt like an open-ended question,” Nisita said. “The most common and profound question you can ask anyone is … why? And then ask it again, and again.”
In August, the founders said they had raised $1.65 million in a pre-seed round, led by Charles Hudson, managing partner and founder of Precursor Ventures.
“Our cap table is amazing,” Watson said. “As women and a founder of color, we feel super fortunate and privileged that we were able to attract investors that we like, we trust, we feel safe with, who each bring unique wisdom and perspective.”
Despite the proliferation of social apps, the founders said they are optimistic that their platform will stand out thanks to its “simplicity and its intimacy.”
Last month, the founders said the app was in private beta mode with plans to officially launch in the fall. It is currently available only on the App Store for iPhone.
In its present form, it features question card games that can be played by users in private chats; a daily question at the top of the home feed; a FaceTime-like feature for people to chat; and a weekly prompt that asks people what they are currently up to, according to Tech Crunch.
Besides having Zhang and product engineer Kam Robinson at the company, Watson and Nisita hope to hire more engineering support as the app grows its user base.
