A really interesting idea for an app: Mozi integrates with your contact list and lets you know when you are, or will be, in the same place as people in the contacts you share with it. That is an opt-in list, and it has to be mutual — which makes it way better than most social apps have been!

I do not travel a lot, and neither do most of my friends or acquaintances… but I have wanted exactly this every time I do travel, and every time I hear after the fact that someone was in the area and we were unable to meet up simply because we did not know about our shared vicinity. I have tried to do the equivalent with Twitter/Bluesky/LinkedIn/etc., with basically no success¹ — and it always feels a little fraught to be putting that out in public anyway. Being able to answer “Who among my friends and acquaintances might I be able to connect with on this trip to ?” or — more commonly these days — vice versa, i.e., for friends traveling through my area sounds great.

More background from cofounder Ev Williams, of Twitter and Medium fame:

Mozi is a social app  —  not in the sense of “social media.” But in the sense of interacting with other people and building relationships. In fact, it’s not a media app at all. There is no posting photos or videos or liking or following. There are no influencers  —  except your friend who may influence you to meet up for a coffee when you’re in town.

The primary value proposition of Mozi (today) is simple: It lets you know when you’re going to be in the same place (city or event) as someone you know. And the goal is straightforward: to connect more often — and in person — with the people you care about.

For example, I just got back from Miami. Before going, I put my plan (just the city and what days) into Mozi. This information was shared just with my contacts (minus any I wouldn’t want it to be). So, even before going, I was able to see both the people I know who live there and other friends who were visiting at the same time, so we could meet up and make plans.

Mozi also helps you decide where to go. “Events” on Mozi (currently a beta feature) lets you see who you know may be going — or considering going — to a conference or event before you go.

The main problem I see, as with so many such great ideas: How in the world do they plan to make money with this? Obvious candidates are ads and freemium, and I can imagine non-awful, “enshittification”-resistant versions of either or both, but none of those versions will make a bazillion dollars. If the Mozi folks are content being a successful relatively small and profitable business, that could work out well. I wish them luck.

HT: Daring Fireball