2 former Hinge execs are building an app to make it easier to plan hangouts with your friends

In today's fast-paced world, coordinating plans with friends can feel overwhelming. With the multitude of group chats, conflicting schedules, and daily distractions, it's easy for plans to fall through the cracks. Enter Rodeo, a groundbreaking app designed by ex-Hinge executives, Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan, who understand the challenges of making social arrangements firsthand. Founded in 2023, Rodeo aims to simplify how friends organize their hangouts. "Our mission is to help friends be better friends with their friends," Levy explained in a recent interview. The app has just launched its beta version on the Apple App Store, albeit with limited features at the moment. Rodeo invites users to share their chaotic social plans, saying, "Give us your chaos." Users can easily send social media posts from platforms like Instagram or TikTok, or even upload screenshots, allowing the app to extract essential details for the planned activities. Levy describes Rodeo as a "second brain" for planning outings. The technology behind Rodeo utilizes artificial intelligence, specifically a large language model (LLM), to assist with natural language processing and contextual understanding. However, Levy emphasizes that the startup does not position itself as an AI company, stating, "We never called ourselves an AI company. It wasn't really in our pitch decks, ever." With funding from various venture capital firms, including 359 Capital and Oceans Ventures, Rodeo is still in the process of raising additional capital. Although the startup hasn't disclosed its total funding, Levy mentioned that they are continuously seeking investments. Rodeo is part of a growing trend in tech, addressing what some are calling a "friendship recession." While other platforms, like Bumble's revamped BFF app, focus on helping people meet new friends, Rodeo is dedicated to strengthening existing relationships. Levy poses an essential question: "How do you truly keep in touch with your close friends over time?" Currently, Rodeo has garnered approximately 20,000 users on its waitlist, with about 5,000 onboarded to the early version of the app. The company plans to officially launch the full version in the first half of 2026, which will feature additional functionalities, including collaborative task lists. Rather than replacing existing communication methods like texting or social media, Rodeo seeks to enhance them. MacGougan stated, "This is taking the time you're spending on social media or online and leveraging it to help you ideally spend more time in real life with your friends." With its innovative approach to social planning, Rodeo is set to revolutionize how friends connect and spend time together.