Thoughtful App Helps to Build Deeper Friendships

There are apps for every part of our wellness routine — from mindfulness to fitness to tracking water intake. Now, there’s a new type of wellness app focused on helping people form deeper friendships to live more meaningful lives. Thoughtful was built to help connect with our friends and family in accessible, bite-sized ways.

Last year, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory about the public health crisis of loneliness, warning that a lack of connection can negatively impact our physical, mental and emotional health. The 80-year-old Harvard Study of Adult Development established that meaningful relationships are the biggest factor impacting our health — but in a world where we’re juggling work, family, and personal commitments, it can be challenging to put this into practice.

Thoughtful users start by taking the Connection Style test, which identified five personality archetypes that determine your relationship values and communication style. Your results power a personalized experience in the app, including regular check-in reminders to stay plugged into your friends' lives, reminders of important dates, and what to say guides for difficult moments like job loss and grief. It was built to do what its name implies — find ways to be more thoughtful with the people in our lives.

Thoughtful’s co-founders are Elizabeth Shaffer and Marc Lore. Lore was the co-founder of Jet.com, and Shaffer worked in e-commerce for over a decade, including at Jet.com, where she was an early employee. Coming out of the pandemic, they recognized the need to build an accessible tool to help people build deeper connections to the people in their lives.

“We know from research that the biggest factor impacting both our happiness is the quality of our relationships,” Shaffer said. “We’re bringing social connection and the epidemic of loneliness to the forefront of the conversation.”