Neil Tanna

Co-founder & CEO @howbout_app.

[walid (nyc for summer) @TheWalid]

just chatted with the founder of Howbout... iykyk. ex corporate lawyer, now on track for 10M users and #30 in social networking and #10 in the UK

he runs 60+ ambassadors with Claude. creators in this program get paid ~$9 per carousel they post

how he actually got there:

1/ months of testing landed on the simplest possible format. app screenshot + a still. two images

your version will look different. the point isn't the carousel, it's finding the simplest thing that sells your app and cutting everything else so you can scale your tech UGC program

2/ simple format = no scripts, no training. there's basically no learning curve for creators. every carousel is another shot at the algorithm and each one costs him ~$9

3/ he hated paying for content that didn't perform, so he flipped the model. He tells creators exactly the format that works to go viral and pays bonuses based on virality, but the creator has to pass a trial week first based on performance to make it into the program

4/ that only works because they want to work with Howbout. you can't cold DM someone the chance to maybe get paid to be an ambassador. ambassadors tell their friends and now they get 20–30 inbound creators a week.

5/ so it's the hunger games. if creators aren’t performing they’re cut weekly and there's a waitlist of ~500 people waiting to become ambassadors. their place is earned not guaranteed.

he builds the system. they make the content! running all of this himself with Claude. super sharp guy

[Saba Karim @sabakarimm]

Tomorrow's episode on the May I Have Your Retention Please Podcast has all the buzzwords you want as a consumer app founder...

✅ PMF
✅ MAU
✅ Carousels
✅ Invite wall
✅ Retention
✅ Meme strategy
✅ Magic moment
✅ Cohort analysis
✅ Network effects
✅ Single player mode
✅ Ambassador programs

And my favorite line that @NeilTanna36 likes to say:
✅ Retention is king.

This episode is an absolute banger. And I can't believe it's free to record, and listen to. We're all winning here.

[Neil Tanna @NeilTanna36]

@sabakarimm Let's do it

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

You care about your friends, you care about what they're doing, and you care about keeping up with the things in their lives that matter to them.

We get it. That's why we made a social calendar app for live updates from your friends, so you can always be in the know of what they're up to, what's new in their lives, and what they've got coming up.

Since we launched, our users have been obsessed with keeping their friends updated on everything in their lives - and with 5 million downloads and over 100 million plans made on the app, we MEAN everything.

But now, it's our turn to overshare 🍿

🎬: @joinsequel

[Josh Constine 📶🔥 @JoshConstine]

@alyssakrejmas Loneliness is this era's crisis. Favorite folks:
-@NeilTanna36 from @howbout_app
-@michelleefang, @marianebekker, @Liz_Cahill with their event calendars
-@johnnyhwin & @rmatei from Brooklyn's 57 Grand community

and I've been writing about it for a decade!
https://t.co/4M51Sk5O6q

[Hugo Amsellem @HugoAmsellem]

The Loneliness Economy:

I spent the past few months going down the loneliness rabbit hole. I believe technology can help us belong.

🗺 Market map of 160+ startups ($8.5B raised in total)
📊 Comprehensive airtable (stage, investors, etc.)
🧠 Analysis of 6 categories & 21 sub

👇

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

Feeling like a million dollars because we just hit a MILLION users 💅 and that means a hell of a lot of moments made that wouldn’t have happened without Howbout getting friends together… (and a hell of a lot of moments made at our celebration drinks😅)

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

the person who sets up the shared calendar 🤝 the glue holding friend groups together

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

true x

[Faraz Fatemi @f_fatemi21]

But if Facebook and Instagram and TikTok become places where we go to be entertained, not necessarily where we connect with friends and family, it seems reasonable to predict that something else will take their place 👫

[Neil Tanna @NeilTanna36]

@Erictigerawr Checkout Howbout on app stores - literally does exactly this! Great for making plans, easily seeing when your friends are free and creating shared social bucket lists

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

Our crowd investment round is live!! Check what the hype’s all about 👀🚀👇

Now’s your chance to join our leading VCs & tech execs and invest in our seed investment round (at the same price 😉)... what are you waiting for?

Capital at risk

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

After being blown away by interest last year, we’ve saved part of our VC-backed round for our community & users again 🙌

We’re already at:
🤩300k+ users in 125+ countries
🥳2M+ plans
🚀10X+ growth since last year

Wanna hop on this rocket ship? Link in replies👇
Capital at risk

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

Thrilled to announce our seed round led by the incredible @SupernodeGlobal, co-led by Boost Capital & also included @jagsingh (Angel Invest) @graywinpat @cyberdees @AmirNooriala & others! Also excited to share that @sameer_singh17 is joining our board as NED with @clairevaloti!

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

anyone else end a weekend feeling like they need a weekend to recover from the weekend they just had? 😅

[Howbout shared calendar @howbout_app]

@anothercohen "Yo, who's keen for a mad night out? Here's my google calendar to book a night when I'm free" - said no group of friends ever

[Amir Nooriala @AmirNooriala]

@TaylorLorenz Hey @TaylorLorenz You should try the @howbout_app it could find a slot that works for tou and your friends even with this crazy calendar.

[Neil Tanna @NeilTanna36]

@DrCarpineti Hey @DrCarpineti ! Check out Howbout on app stores, literally built exactly for this. Essentially a merge of a FB event and group chat - can keep all the event details together and invite anyone via a link or mobile number. 100% free and no ads. 🙌 https://t.co/zSwveRWMEf

[Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community @EntrepreneursGB]

Here are our London & East of England finalists for the Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award…

📝@Wakudauk
📝@indiebaysnacks
📝@warpaintformen
📝@sookspaces
📝Lemonade Dolls
📝Kind Bag
📝@howbout_app
📝@theoceanbottle

[Neil Tanna @NeilTanna36]

If you have an idea or a dream: go for it. With hard work, passion and a bit of luck, you’ll never regret taking the step. #startups #GBEA /5

[Neil Tanna @NeilTanna36]

#1 question I get asked is was it scary leaving my career to pursue my startup idea. It’s always a simple answer: yes, terrifying. But I promised my Mum I would. This thread explains why. /1

[Neil Tanna @NeilTanna36]

So, this moment’s for her. I’m hugely humbled to be shortlisted with my phenomenal co-founders @TheJakeJenner and @DuncanCowan2 as finalists for the @EntrepreneursGB Start Up of the Year! /4