How it all started
On January 14, 2020, Communiivate was conceived. Development procedures were learned on the fly, stakeholders were consulted, and the app was taken apart and rebuilt. At some point in 2022, Communiivate was finally ready to be released to the world; a community platform tailored for activists and changemakers and that encouraged action over passive scrolling. Unfortunately, it had to be acknowledged that the most challenging part of this venture was yet to come.
How it went
The greatest challenge in developing a social media platform from scratch turned out to be a greater hurdle than expected. How can a social platform grow when its engagement depends on the size of its user base? The only answer to that starts with an "m". Marketing, money...take your pick, because we lacked both. Instead, we spent our time on expanding Communiivate's capabilities and enhancing its features in a last-ditch hope that this would draw people in. Despite a steady trickle of new users, it wasn't enough to take us where we need to go, nor was it enough to help us change the world.
How to say goodbye
It was time to say goodbye to Communiivate. Jumping from one opportunity to the next, we looked for alternative concepts, re-evaluted everything we thought we knew, and made some missteps along the way. We had to dissect the meaning of Communiivate; what did we really want to accomplish? Then came along the idea of intrast. A utility app with the power to find anyone, anywhere based on their skills and interests. A utility app to build community through purpose, with the potential to do so much more. Most importantly, a utility app that doesn't rely on an active community to succeed. Trust in intrast to overcome the failures of Communiivate and one day become so much more.