Introducing Twos: The Conversation Company
Get early access through my invite link and have some great conversations!
Did you know that a 15-minute call with a stranger will make you happier?
Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
And there’s science backing it up.
Meanwhile, the world is more disconnected than ever.
We live in silos with earplugs in, screaming at the world.
It’s disturbing. And sad.
My two adult children were home from university last week. We got to talking about AI, because I’m hacking away using tools like Lovable, Claude Code and others to build stuff I never thought possible on my own. I’m like a kid in a candy store.
They have a different opinion, and it’s not hugely positive.
Why?
My sense: they’re overloaded with AI slop from Instagram, TikTok and elsewhere. They can’t tell what’s real anymore. It feels like a tsunami of endless crap. Meanwhile the whole world is telling them humans are obsolete just as they’re entering the workforce.
Ouch.
Wrap that whole beautiful bun of awesomeness in the fact that younger generations are lonelier than ever (and they’re not the only ones). Everyone’s scrolling. No one’s connecting.
We’re all disconnected, overwhelmed by AI and lonely.
That’s not a great combination.
But a 15-minute call will make you happier?
Yup, it’s true.
I want to introduce you to Twos.
That’s my personal invite link to join.
It hasn’t fully launched, so you’ll need to setup TestFlight first and then install the app. But we’re hoping to get a few more brave folks to join us early!
Twos is the brainchild of a father-son duo, who came to Highline Beta with the goal of “reconnecting humanity.”
Just a tad ambitious, but why not? 😊
If I can put a bit of goodness into the world, I want to try.
They had an idea:
What if we could connect people together for 15-minute video calls in a safe, secure space? Match people based on interests, conversational style and how they’re feeling. Measure post-call mood. Use science, but not in an overwhelming way.
What if a 15-minute call every day with a stranger could make people feel better?
What if enough people called enough strangers every day that the world got more connected?
What if?
Twos describes itself as quality conversations with real people.
AI helps you onboard, but the goal is to connect you 1:1 with someone to share, laugh, cry, listen, vent, help and…be human.
Twos is not for therapy. If you need mental health support please find professional alternatives for that.
Twos is not for dating. If you’re looking for love, there are plenty of other places.
Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky is a Professor at the University of California and Twos’ Chief Scientist. She’s an expert in the field of happiness. Studying happiness is a thing, because finding or achieving it isn’t easy.
This quote from Sonja sums it all up:
“Of all the studies we did, the single greatest boost to happiness came from a 15-minute video call with a stranger.”
I’ve been working with the Twos’ team for awhile, along with my team at Highline Beta. It’s been a very interesting experience. B2C is tough. How can you really know if something will take off? There’s an element of “magic” or “lightning in a bottle” that’s tough to predict.
We did a lot of research, experimentation, prototyping and validation. The Twos team kept going: testing, iterating, learning, redoing, trying again, testing, iterating, learning. You get the point.
Building something that people will love is not easy. And there’s still a long way to go. ❤️️
But there’s something intriguing about 15-minute calls with strangers. How will the call go? Will you enjoy it? Will you feel better? Will you have enough to talk about?
It turns out, in most cases, if you put two people together in a safe space and ask them to have a conversation, they do exactly that.
They find something to connect about. Twos prompts you with topics if you get stuck, but most people go with the flow. It feels awkward at first, but then you realize: (a) talking to people is OK; and (b) you never have to speak with the same person twice (if you don’t want).
Twos is not a social network. It’s not built to create followers, authority or brand. Remember: Quality conversations with real people.
If you try Twos (and I hope you do!) you’ll notice a couple unique things about it. For starters, in video calls you won’t see yourself. Don’t panic! It’s awkward at first because you’re used to staring at yourself in FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc. Twos took a different direction. Full video of the person you’re speaking with; no tiny video of yourself.
When I first experienced it, I flat out said, “This is weird.” And then I forgot about it because I was more focused on the person I was talking to. I stopped worrying about how I looked and just…talked.
Another interesting feature is how you connect with others. Since it’s not a social network, there’s no friending or following. You open up a “card pack” and it reveals matches that are available to talk.
If you don’t find people to talk to right away that’s OK. A new pack will show up soon enough and you can try again. Twos isn’t trying to keep you in the app endlessly. We hope you find someone to talk to, in the moment, feel a bit better, and go on with your day. Come back when you’re ready for more conversation!
I hope Twos wins.
Not because Highline Beta helped build it, but because it could actually make a difference. If Twos can reach enough people, and those people decide that speaking to a stranger isn’t weird, but actually healthy…we may have the antidote to mindlessly doomscrolling AI slop on social networks.
Maybe, we make the world a little less lonely.
Maybe, we make the world a little bit happier.
Maybe, we make it possible for two people that otherwise would never have connected to do exactly that.
Twos will be available in the iOS App Store soon. In the meantime, if you’re a bit courageous and curious, get early access. And maybe we’ll get matched and have…dare I say it…a conversation.