Someone

Instead of posting “does anyone know someone who…” to a feed full of strangers — or scrolling your contacts, hoping — just ask. It goes straight to the people you already trust.

One shared phonebook that works both ways: it finds you the right person when you need help — and puts you on the list when they need you.

● Free to use ● iPhone & Android ● Private by design
A · The phonebook, reimagined it's not just for asking
★ Centerpiece feature

It's also a phonebook of the people you actually know.

Numbers, yes — but also who they are. The friend who's an electrician. The cousin in Lisbon. The neighbor who keeps a spare car seat. A small, useful map of your circle, written by you.

  • What they do — engineer, midwife, contractor
  • Where they live — city & neighborhood
  • How you know them — work, school, family
  • What they're good for — "great with cars"
  • Last time you spoke or helped each other
  • Their trust tier — close, trusted, or known

My phonebook

34 people
— A —
AC
Ana Costa
Architect · Lisbon · met at Inês's wedding
Trusted
— D —
DP
Devon Park
Software engineer · Oakland · college
Close
— I —
IF
Inés Ferreira
Pediatric nurse · Brooklyn · sister-in-law
Close
— M —
MC
Maya Chen
Designer · Mission, SF · neighbor & friend
Trusted
MR
Marco Russo
Electrician · Sunset · friend-of-Devon
Known
B · Features six things it does well
No. 1

Post a request

A few lines about what you need. Pick a deadline if it matters. Add a photo of the broken faucet, the missing cat, the empty trunk that needs filling.

No. 2

Three trust tiers

Close, Trusted, Known. You decide who sees each request. The personal stuff stays close; the casual stuff can travel a little wider — even to friends of your friends.

No. 3

Raise a hand = give your word

One tap, with an optional note. Raising your hand is a commitment, not a maybe. The asker picks one and the rest of the request closes quietly.

No. 4

A real phonebook

Every person you've added with their job, city, and how you met. Search by what you need ("who knows a plumber?") instead of scrolling a list of names.

No. 5

Vouch & flag

After it's done, leave a vouch — or a flag if it didn't go well. Trust scores compound the way real reputation does: slowly, between people who know each other.

No. 6

Purposeful, not addictive

No streaks, no algorithmic rabbit holes, no infinite scroll. A feed with one shape of content: requests from people you trust. You open it when you need it.

C · How it works in three moves
I.

Post the request

Write what you need in plain language. Pick close friends, your trusted circle, or wider known. Add a deadline if it's time-sensitive.

II.

A hand goes up — that's their word

People who can help raise a hand. Raising it is their word that they'll follow through — not an offer to chat about it. Sometimes there's a short note ("I'm heading that way Saturday morning anyway").

III.

You accept one

The request closes to everyone else. You exchange details and coordinate directly — like grown-ups. After it's done, leave a vouch.

From the field
"I needed someone to feed my cat for a long weekend. Posted to my Close circle on Tuesday. Two friends raised a hand within an hour. By dinner I'd picked Inés and she was on her way."
MC
Maya Chen
Member · San Francisco
D · Three tiers of trust you decide who sees what
Close

The eight or so

The handful of people you'd text at 11pm without hesitation. Personal requests, hard moments, last-minute things.

Trusted

The reliable couple dozen

Friends, neighbors, longtime collaborators. Practical asks: rides, tools, recommendations, sourdough advice.

Known

Friends of friends

People you may not have met yet — but someone in your circle has, and trusts. A wider net for things like a recommendation, a couch for the night, or someone heading to the airport anyway.

"The favour economy is older than the internet, and it works because everyone in it knows everyone else's name."
— from the founders' note

Request access

Someone is invite-only while we roll out carefully. Leave your email and we'll reach out when it's your turn.

No spam — one email, when there's room for you.

E · Frequently asked in case you were wondering

Is Someone really just for asking favours?

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It's two things, side by side: a phonebook of people you know with the meta you actually need (job, city, how you met) — and a way to send small requests to a chosen tier of them. There's no public content, no profile-scrolling, no lifestyle feed.

What does "raise a hand" really mean?

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It's a commitment. Raising your hand on a request is the same as giving your word that you'll follow through if accepted. There's no second "are you sure?" step — that's the whole point. If you can't, don't raise it.

Who can see my requests?

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Only the tier you choose. Close goes to about eight people. Trusted goes to a few dozen. Known reaches the friends of your trusted contacts — people you may not have met, but who are vouched for by someone you trust. Never strangers, never the public.

What happens if someone doesn't keep their word?

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You can flag the request. Flags are visible on a person's profile alongside their vouches — not as a number to game, but so the next person who asks has the context. Most flags resolve into a conversation; a pattern is a pattern.

Is this private?

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Requests are visible only to people in your chosen tier — no one else. We don't sell data, and we don't show ads. The plan is to fund Someone with a small annual fee for power users; the basics stay free.

How is this different from Nextdoor or a group chat?

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Nextdoor is your neighbourhood — most of whom you've never met, with no shared social fabric. A group chat is unstructured and noisy. Someone is your circle and the friends of your circle, with one specific shape of message: a request, a hand, a follow-through.