33: Friends + Machine Learning with Jesper Algaard

From Project BFF HQ and Bergen, Norway, Terri + Manya riff with Jesper Algaard, founder and CEO of the Venn app, about machine learning and friendships.

Venn means friend in Norwegian.

How do we figure out who we will be friends with?  What kind of people do we hang out with and why? And what do computers have to do with it? And how can technology make it easier to make a connection?

Jesper and the team at Venn have been doing some research about how we relate to each other and how people trust each other. Yet these qualitative studies only give a small piece of the story. How can machine learning help us understand what really draws friends to each other?

What kind of friend are you looking for--like, a gym partner, a travel partner, or a gaming buddy, for example? What are you interested in doing with a friend? What kind of social settings do you prefer? Once you enter in that info, you can find new friends. Venn has connected 10,000 friendships so far. And they have evolved to connect people in many different ways, including their new group activity setting (because for some folks, it can be easier to get to know people in a group instead of one to one.)

Download Venn here or in the app store, the app that makes it easy to find new people and create activities based on interests and preferences.

Follow Venn on Facebook or Instagram

Want to learn more about Venn? Reach Jesper directly: jesper@findavenn.com

#BeAFriend  

*****
Thank you for listening.

After much reflection, we have made the difficult decision to shut down Project BFF and the podcast. Our last podcast episode aired on August 23, 2024. We are leaving the podcast live on Buzzsprout through the end of 2024.

We are proud of this podcast and honored to have hosted such amazing and engaging guests.

Our hope is that Project BFF and Friendshipable have inspired you to form new friendships, strengthen existing ones, and encourage others to do the same

Thank you for being a part of our story. The two of us have truly deepened our friendship during this time, and we look forward to new and memorable adventures together in and around New England, which serves as the adopted home for both of us.

With gratitude and friendship,
Manya and Terri

To contact us, you can email Manya at manya@alley424.com