What is the one thing that you wish someone told you before you became a founder?

You will have more people who have never started their own business look you in the eye, give you unsolicited advice, and criticize your idea.

I know…the audacity.

Laugh it off because they do not know what they are talking about no matter how “accomplished” they seem.

Can you share your experience with building a social networking platform? What have been the most challenging aspects of building such a platform and how are you overcoming them?

Building a social networking platform in such a crowded space has been daunting. This space has existed because of white straight men for the most part and it shows. I always say I wish saymore already existed so I could just be a user, not a founder. But the lack of a space dedicated to compassionate, curious conversations and our commitment to a community that feels like a real community is what differentiates us. 

The biggest challenge has been shifting people’s expectations of what an online community can be.

Existing platforms profit from outrage, conditioning us to associate social media with stress and division. Saymore was created in direct opposition to all that, especially in this current climate. We amplify underrepresented voices and foster genuine dialogue.

Especially in the women’s health space, there are so many conversations around miscarriages, PCOS, menopause, eating disorders, ADHD… you name it. We all experience life differently and it is important to find other people who may know exactly what you are going through, even if they are strangers on the internet. Saymore offers that space for all of those conversations. We are only growing because our communities represent real people who care and there are a lot more of us than these other platforms would like us to believe.

What advice do you have for founders building social networking platforms who are struggling with user growth, engagement and monetization?

Everyone will tell you to copy the big boys, facebook or reddit, but if you are creating something different you have to do something different. And take your time figuring out what that is!

We spent our first year really trying to tap into niche communities and ask questions and host conversations. Now we are dedicating all of our energy to having real time events around topics that our users and our followers want.

Virtual events have been largely successful for us and have been an easy way to show people what we stand for - authenticity. Paying dollars into ads on these other platforms has not been what we need at this point and we want to attract the right people and build our brand at our own pace.

It will take time and you will make mistakes in front of people but that is what our platform is all about. Growing and learning from each other.

Can you share your story about a significant mistake you made when you were first starting and the lessons you learned from it?

When I was first starting, I made the mistake of trying to cut corners on branding—our logo, platform UX, and overall design—to save money. I thought I could handle a lot of it myself, even though I had no experience in those areas. But the beginning matters, especially when it comes to the foundation of your company.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that investing in the right people early on is far more cost-effective than having to fix everything later.

Good design isn’t just about aesthetics; it shapes how people experience your platform. I don’t have a natural eye for detail in this area, and once I brought in a team that did, it made all the difference.