How We Went From Drifting Apart to Staying Close
A story about scattered friendships, failed group chats and building the app we wished existed.
We Were Drifting Apart
As a foreigner living abroad, my closest friends are scattered across contexts: work colleagues I see daily but never talk to deeply, friends back home, my cycling group who only discuss routes, university friends who've drifted into "happy birthday" once a year.
I don't chat with most of them regularly because there's no natural prompt. When I do reach out, it feels forced or shallow. I want meaningful conversation but don't know how to start it without feeling awkward.
Modern life has made it too easy to drift apart from the people we care about. Not because we don't love them, but because we don't have a reason to reach out.
"How are you?" feels hollow.
Endless logistics and memes. No structure for depth; conversations never go beyond "when are we meeting?"
The "perfection tax" kills authentic sharing. You can't be vulnerable when curating your life.
Journaling Apps
Great for solo reflection, but lonely. No connection or shared perspective.
Everything We Tried Failed
We tried it all. Group chats that devolved into logistics and meme dumps. Social media that rewarded performance over authenticity. Video calls that felt like scheduling nightmares.
The problem isn't that we lack tools. It's that existing tools are designed for convenience, not connection. They remove all friction. But research shows that friendships are built through consistent, reciprocal disclosure. Through showing up, even when it's uncomfortable.
We don't need another chat app. We need a structured ritual that creates space for depth.
So We Built Runde
Runde is a small, quiet place for your friends, family and partner, somewhere between public social media and a busy group chat. Only the people who already know you are in it.
Each week your circle gets one question. You answer before you see anyone else's and the conversation picks up from there. There are no algorithms or like counts and nothing to perform for.
One question a week turns out to be enough to stay close.
2-8 people who matter
What We Believe
Runde is not built to maximize engagement. It's built to maximize meaning.
Privacy is Sacred
Your reflections are yours, not our data. Encrypted in transit, encrypted at rest, end-to-end encrypted when you choose it. No ads, no data mining, no surveillance.
Slow is Good
One thing a week is enough. We're anti-hustle, intentionally slow. Depth over breadth, always.
Free Tier
Chat forever free. Real value, not a teaser. We want you to experience depth before you pay.
Thoughtfully Designed
No endless scrolling, no like buttons, no algorithmic feeds. Just one question, one week, one circle.
Who We Are
Viktor Stojanov
Founder
I built Runde because I was tired of drifting apart from people I love. As a foreigner living abroad, I've felt the pain of scattered friendships across time zones and life stages. This app is the tool I wished existed. A structured ritual for the relationships.
Start your first circle today
Available on iOS and Android. Download now and invite your closest people to join your first circle.
Free to download. Start with the free plan, upgrade anytime.