May 4, 2022
Why does HSRisHome exist?
Technology, urban design and hyper individuality have led to a great disconnect. We have moved away from our hometowns, joint families, support systems of childhood friends, neighbours and relatives. Everything is one tap away on a screen, available in 10 minutes or more, except relationships. In the remote work era where groceries are delivered home, so is food, entertainment, beauty and grooming services, there isn’t a strong WHY to get out of our comfort zone and engage with the world. But we are social beings and we crave connection, meaning and belonging.
We may be in transit, still figuring out our life, career, relationships, finances; but we need people to keep us connected to this world. There are gyms for physical fitness, yoga and meditation studios for mental fitness, where is the equivalent for our social health? One-off meetups, exchanging business cards over drinks and some small talk doesn’t cut it. How do we find your tribe? Being connected on social media is good to build your funnel. How do we qualify these leads and convert them to IRL meetings? I hear you when you say you don’t need more people in your inner circle, though all of them are in different geographies by now. So, where are the ones you can hang out with in the neighbourhood, in the city and for activities that make you feel alive? Please don’t tell me everything can wait for the weekend because there isn’t any time in the weekdays. We only have 4000 weekends, remember?
Where’s Home?
When you move away from home, where is home now? Do we always have to fly back home for a festival? Do we have to wait for an annual event called Diwali to meet friends? Do we always have to compare the food and the people and the culture from the places where we grew up to where we are now? Can we live in the present? Can we be more mindful of our choices? Can we consume food and content that nourishes us?
You could be new to the city or new to the neighbourhood if you just switched jobs or moved here for ‘the vibe’. You may have moved here during the pandemic and not had enough opportunities to meet people outside your bubble. You might be feeling awkward showing up alone at an event where you don’t know others. Want to meet people you vibe with, over activities you’ll enjoy, in spaces that are safe? Want to have a more warm and welcoming neighbourhood that allows for third spaces, more serendipity and friendliness?
Imagine this entire neighbourhood as one big campus. It’s a melting pot of different people, cultures et al. Once you enter here, where’s the welcome committee? Who’s onboarding you to orient you with helpful resources, relevant people etc? Where are the micro communities or clubs that you’d be interested in? Just like academics, you have work. What’s happening beyond work to shape you as an individual? Who are the five people you are spending most of your time with and will most likely turn out to be the average of these?
Just like campus, it’ll be good to have events exclusive to the neighbourhood folks, while also having ample opportunities for guests to participate so that we may broaden our horizons. In Dr Helen Fisher’s language, we have explorers in abundance here. What are we doing to channelise all this energy into something meaningful that truly creates a positive impact?
In the five essentials of wellbeing — financial, career, social, physical and community, you are doing good if you are faring well in the first four. But to make it great, you need community.
The journey so far
HSRisHome has been in existence since November 2020. I wanted big city living with small town vibes. So I started it. It always takes one person to start and just one more who believes in it to make progress, right? Now with over 350 members in the community, it is a precursor to the magic that can be created when people break the bread together and break barriers. All activities involve no-phone policy and no alcohol. We’ve hosted community meals at restaurants, food walks, co-working days, startup tours, game nights, Secret Santa, cookouts, potlucks and more. Typically, 30% of the folks who RSVP actually show up at the event. All the events are absolutely free when hosted at our homes. We split the bills equally when an expense is incurred during an event. Members are of ages 19 to 45 with a majority in their 20s. These are working professionals in tech, product, marketing, HR, ops — mostly startups, founders, VCs and interns. As we grow on our Discord URL, the intent is to meet IRL.
Next Steps
We need community builders who’ll host their alcohol-free events in our neighbourhood at regular intervals. And those who’d like to form activity clubs within the community.
Solving for trust at scale is not easy. I need15-minute calls with people who have run communities that have done well online / offline.
Products lined up — Conversation basket and merchandise coming soon!
I’m accessible for a 15-minute call if you are building in the space that addresses loneliness, social health, dating and relationships, socialising sober and bringing people together.
Love and light,
Radhika
