Howbout is a social calendar app that helps you connect with your friends and schedule time to catch up. Unlike other apps that focus on work or personal productivity, Howbout is all about making time with your friends a social experience.
The app was founded by three friends – Neil, Jake, and Duncan – who realized that it was hard to catch up with each other after they left university. Neil, who used to be a corporate lawyer, wanted to build something of his own, and convinced his friends to join him in creating Howbout.
The company has raised $13 million in funding, with a recent $8 million Series A round led by Goodwater Capital. Howbout allows you to see your own schedule and the schedules of your friends who have shared their calendars with you. You can also share your availability with others without sharing your full calendar.
With Howbout, you can schedule events and invite people through a link. The app also has tools like voting on a time for availability or a meetup, just like Doodle or Clockwise. You can add future events like gigs or adventures to your bucket list, and past events that you enjoyed to memories for recall value.
The app has a large user base, with over 4 million monthly active users, and 50 million events created on the app. The company is focusing on growth and expanding in the US market. Howbout thinks that its network effects will be triggered by “chief friend officers” – people who take the initiative to plan meet-ups and events.
The app’s founders believe that Gen Z is a great target audience because they are not hesitant to share their calendars and realize that the alternative is not meeting or catching up with friends. However, it remains to be seen whether shared personal calendars will become a new social trend.
