Andy Dunn’s startup Pie becomes less of an events app and more of a social network
Summarized from techcrunch.com
Pie, the social app founded by Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn, has launched a new “Communities” feature that shifts its focus from being primarily an events app to fostering more permanent social groups. The Communities feature, called “Community Homes,” provides users with dedicated digital spaces for their social groups, offering tools such as a community feed, admin and membership controls, a shareable homepage, and event-planning resources. This update aims to encourage users to build relationships within communities, with events emerging as a natural outcome rather than the main focus [https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/25/andy-dunns-startup-pie-becomes-less-of-an-events-app-and-more-of-a-social-network/].
The introduction of Community Homes follows other recent changes designed to prioritize people over events. In December, Pie modified its activity feed to highlight attendees known to the user, rather than just listing events, which led to a significant increase in average app usage time. Additionally, Pie recently launched a “favorites” feature allowing users to showcase their interests on public profiles. These changes reflect a broader trend among younger users seeking real-world connections after years of predominantly online socializing. Pie’s co-founder and CMO, Nadya Okamoto, likens the app to the original promise of Facebook and Reddit, but without the anonymity and toxicity, emphasizing that events should be a byproduct of strong community-building within the app.