Loneliness is a growing problem, even in our hyper-connected world. Professionals who frequently relocate for work or live in digital-first environments often struggle to build genuine human relationships. Enter Sarah Hajipour, founder of Yeyzer, a platform designed to foster spontaneous, meaningful one-on-one connections between professionals.
In a recent episode of the Founder Spotlight Podcast, hosted by Vatsa, Sarah shared her journey of building Yeyzer, the challenges she faced, and her ambitious vision of eliminating loneliness. Let’s dive into her story and the revolutionary idea behind Yeyzer.
Sarah’s inspiration for Yeyzer came from her own experiences of isolation while frequently moving from city to city in the Bay Area for work opportunities. She realized that while there were plenty of networking platforms, none were truly solving the deeper issue of human connection.
"I wanted to create a way where you can find people you trust and feel safe with, to connect with when you need it, where you need it."
Sarah coined the name Yeyzer from a personal habit—whenever she found an answer to something or had a small victory, instead of saying "yes," she would say "yay there!" That excitement and positivity are now embedded in the company’s DNA.
Building a platform for real-life interactions comes with significant challenges, from ensuring user trust to iterating based on feedback. Sarah and her team focused on key areas:
"This is not a dating app. It’s not LinkedIn or Meetup. It’s about facilitating real, genuine in-person connections."
One of the unexpected lessons came when early users playfully mispronounced or reimagined the name "Yeyzer." Instead of discouragement, Sarah saw this as an opportunity to engage users more deeply in her brand’s identity.
The platform offers a curated way for users to meet the right people at the right time, allowing for organic and enriching experiences. The Yeyzer experience is built around four key parameters:
By combining personalization with spontaneity, Yeyzer fosters unique, trust-driven interactions.
Yeyzer rolled out its beta phase on November 16th and has already acquired over 200 beta users. The response has been overwhelmingly positive:
To maintain the platform’s integrity, Yeyzer follows a controlled onboarding process:
"We check LinkedIn to ensure users are real before sending them an invite to download the app. Trust is at the core of what we’re building."
As a founder, Sarah learned several key lessons that guided her journey:
"It’s okay to keep changing your pitch deck. That’s how you learn to speak the investor’s language."
Currently, Yeyzer is in its fundraising phase, aiming to raise $250K in an angel round. They’ve already secured $75K, demonstrating strong early confidence in the platform.
Sarah envisions Yeyzer expanding globally, ensuring no one has to eat lunch alone or forgo activities due to lack of companionship.
"We don’t need to just rely on social platforms for likes and comments—we need to bring back human-centered interactions."
While the Bay Area is the starting point, Yeyzer’s long-term goal is to reach professionals worldwide, providing a simple yet effective way for people to form real-world connections.
Sarah shared one last piece of wisdom for fellow founders:
"Throw away the words 'hard' and 'easy.' It’s about perseverance, vision, and bringing your idea to life."
Her journey with Yeyzer is a testament to the power of persistence, adaptability, and passion.
Yeyzer is reshaping how professionals connect, tackling loneliness through authentic real-world interactions. If you’re intrigued by Sarah’s story, be sure to listen to the full podcast episode for deeper insights.
Want to be part of the Yeyzer movement? Sign up for the waitlist and start forging meaningful connections today!
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