Hi everyone,
This month, Yirl became more visible through national and international media, spreading the word about our mission. We also launched our first Fan Hangouts and introduced product improvements focused on bringing participants back.
We’re spreading the word.
Alexa appeared on ABC7 Bay Area to introduce Yirl and explain how an AI social assistant can help people connect in real life.
We were also featured in two new Authority Magazine interviews:
- Alexa Zhang: How We Can Solve the Loneliness Epidemic Among Young People
- Kevin Gaspar: Creating a Culture of Courage
Another story is in progress, with a reporter covering the experience on the ground.
We’re becoming more public about what we’re building, sharing the mission through the people and experiences behind Yirl.
A shared interest. A reason to show up.
For the League of Legends World Championship, we launched a new format: Fan Hangouts, starting with a dedicated LoL gathering in NYC. Within 24 hours, 170+ participants registered.
This followed a conversation with a Riot executive who highlighted the need to bring fans together worldwide to watch together.
During the hangout, we also learned that some players stop playing when their friends do. Helping them build new friendships through Yirl could give them a reason to return to the game.
We’re extending this approach through an event calendar covering fan gatherings and seasonal occasions, from Halloween to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Yirl can adapt invitations and activity agendas to the occasion and each participant’s interests.
Make the next plan while the motivation is there.
In NYC, weekly repeat participation is now 13%, and 42% of participants return within four weeks. Our audience’s average age is 18.5.
Our Booking Agent now lets users reserve either of the next two hangouts. Someone who cannot make this Saturday can immediately book the following one, instead of leaving the conversation without a plan.
Since introducing this change, we’ve observed a 30% increase in retention. We’re continuing to track how that translates into sustained participation.
The priority is simple: make it easier for someone who wants to come back to actually do it.
On Saturday, October 24, one group rated its experience 4.86/5 — our highest-rated hangout to date. We attribute this largely to our Group Leaders. Eight of the ten participants immediately registered for the next hangout, an 80% rebooking rate within that group.
Fewer drop-offs. More reasons to reconnect.
- Follow-ups that reflect the conversation. Yirl now adapts its follow-ups to each user’s activity, previous conversations and participation history. The goal is to restart relevant conversations with people who have been inactive for two weeks or more. We’re measuring the impact on registrations.
- An onboarding fallback. Around 5–10% of users encounter friction when initiating contact or completing verification. They can now leave their phone number so Yirl can contact them directly and help them finish onboarding.
- A refreshed App Clip. We redesigned the App Clip experience to make the interface clearer and easier to navigate during hangouts.
- Invitations built around the occasion. Yirl can use our event calendar to tailor invitations and agendas to participants’ interests and the day’s theme.
- Friendship Agent. Yirl lets participants know when a friend is coming back or when an upcoming group shares their interests. The aim is to make the next invitation more personal: a chance to reconnect with someone or meet people they already have something in common with.
Turn enthusiasm into participation.
40% of onboarded participants express interest in becoming Group Leaders, and 20% go on to become one.
Our focus now is on helping volunteers feel prepared: clearer onboarding, better information before the hangout, and practical guidance on welcoming people and keeping the group together.
We also launched our Campus Ambassador program at NYU, moving from recruitment into on-campus activation.
We want campus growth to come from people who have experienced Yirl and want to bring it to others.
Building the team for our next stage.
We parted ways with Mario. The fit wasn’t right for the team’s current needs and working dynamic.
We’re also in discussions with David, formerly Head of Growth at BeReal, about joining Yirl. He brings experience growing consumer products across US campuses and subsequently supported Partiful’s Clapton launch, which reached 60,000 downloads per week.
There is mutual interest, but bringing him on requires additional budget and depends on fundraising. We’re exploring an initial part-time engagement.
See you IRL,
Kevin
Chief Hangout Officer