When we think of “social media”, most of us have long since accepted our fate.

• We're held hostage to the format.

• Out of control of our own data.

• Encouraged to stay within the well-kept walled garden.

• Unable to fully express ourselves.

• Powerless to the advertising revenue model.

• Hyperaware of the scrutiny we'll draw for being ourselves.

• Disconnected from others despite constant sharing.

At Guestbook, we're building a social journal with the audacity to challenge the current social media status quo.

We believe social media can represent us fully and connect us to others, rather than throw us into an endless loop of like-chasing, doom-scrolling, and envy-harboring.

Our mission is not to be a necessary evil social app. Our mission is to love and be loved by all in the Guestbook.

Given that our mission poses such core questions to the current social media guard, the way we operate our company does, too.

• We don't use Slack — instead, we registered a Guestbook phone number and have a group chat on iMessage where friends and collaborators join in brainstorming sessions.

• We research and design simultaneously, knowing that these two processes are intimately intertwined and should never be siloed. Great designers do great research.

• We consider everyone on the team to be active participants in the design process, not just someone who executes code or does a little bit of research on the side.

• We obsess over simple language, throwing out all the corporate jargon we can manage. Users are people. A network is made up of friends. We're not a consumer social startup. We're Guestbook.

Though we encourage remote work, we're based in New York City in an office on 5th Avenue. Alongside beautiful 5K displays — everything in the name of beauty — you'll find a trash can full of sweets, on most days.