Rodeo: The App for Planning Outings with Your Friends

There’s a plethora of dating apps and productivity tools out there, but Rodeo takes a unique approach by leveraging AI to help you coordinate activities with your current friends. Founded by two former Hinge executives, Rodeo aims to simplify the often chaotic process of making plans amidst the demands of work, parenting, and endless group chats, which can sometimes leave friendships on the back burner.

Rodeo allows you to transform social media posts about events or restaurants, as well as screenshots from group chats, into actionable plans. For example, if you upload a screenshot of an Instagram ad for a movie, the app will identify nearby theaters and showtimes, even letting you purchase tickets directly. Plus, it features a handy option to send invites to friends you want to join in on the fun.

You can also create lists for activities you want to remember for later, like great date night spots or fun outings with college friends, such as a local paintball arena. These lists can be collaborative, allowing you to invite your buddies to contribute suggestions.

Interestingly, founders Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan aren’t heavily promoting the AI aspect of their app. While AI is a hot topic in tech circles, they seem to understand that many people prefer to keep it out of their personal lives. Nevertheless, it’s the AI functionality that distinguishes Rodeo, as it automates the tedious task of gathering event details and turning them into invites.

The app does embrace some buzzwords, with Levy describing it as a “second brain” for planning activities with friends and family. Rodeo is clearly banking on the organizational trend that has propelled tools like Notion and Obsidian to success.

Currently, Rodeo is in an invite-only beta phase, but you can download the iOS app to join the waiting list.