Pie, the social app founded by Bonobos founder Andy Dunn, has introduced a new feature designed to give social groups a permanent home on its platform. The addition, called Community Homes, moves the startup beyond its origins as an events app in Chicago toward a broader community-building model. With roughly 300,000 users and backing from investors such as Forerunner, Lightspeed, Accel, and angel investor Ev Williams, Pie is positioning the update as an alternative to group texts and Facebook Groups.
A Permanent Space for Social Groups
Each Community Home provides a dedicated digital homepage with its own feed, membership controls, and planning tools for organizers. Unlike many group platforms, Pie allows any member to share events to the group feed, not just administrators, which is intended to support more organic networking. The company plans to add group chats and a separate feature for casual connection requests, such as asking if anyone wants to craft together or watch a show.
Personalization and Member Participation
The Community Homes update follows earlier changes that built out public profiles through a favorites feature, letting users list their interests. This personalization is designed to make it easier for people to find others with shared hobbies and form more meaningful connections. By combining public profiles, group feeds, and member-driven event sharing, Pie is building a social layer that persists between in-person gatherings.
A Broader Shift Toward Real-World Connection
The launch reflects a wider shift in how younger people use digital tools, with many seeking real-world interaction after years of online socializing. Pie has been adjusting its product to emphasize people over events, including a December change that highlighted who a user knew attending an event. After that update, average time spent on the app rose from two minutes to ten minutes, according to the company.
Founder Vision and Strategic Leadership
Andy Dunn has said he was inspired to build Pie after moving from New York to Chicago and struggling to find community, while cultural movements such as run clubs and watch parties gained traction. He describes the platform as a kind of Reddit for real life, focused on belonging and deeper connections rather than anonymous forums. The company has also brought on Nadya Okamoto, founder of the New York run club Zoomies, as co-founder and chief marketing officer.
From Group Feeds to Lasting Belonging
Okamoto compared Pie to the original promise of Facebook and Reddit, but without the anonymity and toxicity that can affect those platforms. She said the company wants to lead with community infrastructure rather than events alone, allowing events to emerge from strong group dynamics. That position underscores the app’s attempt to reverse the usual social media model, where content consumption often takes priority over real-world contact.
Market Focus and Next Steps
Pie is currently seeing the most traction in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, although the app remains available anywhere. The team views events as a natural outcome of community relationships rather than the main draw of the platform. By giving groups persistent homes, Pie hopes to support recurring interaction and make social clubs easier to organize outside large social networks.
Pie’s new Community Homes feature marks a meaningful step in the app’s evolution from a simple event tool to a platform for lasting social organization. By allowing every member to contribute and reducing dependence on formal plans, the company aims to support the kind of spontaneous, real-world interaction that many users now seek. As the app expands beyond its strongest cities, its success will likely depend on whether communities adopt these digital homes as a primary space for connection.