Pie shifts focus from events to persistent community hubs

Pie, founded by Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn, has introduced Community Homes, a feature that gives social groups permanent digital spaces with feeds and management tools. The app, which has about 300,000 users, aims to foster real-world connections by making events a natural outcome of community membership rather than the primary draw. The update follows earlier changes that increased user engagement from two to ten minutes per session.

Pie’s shift toward persistent communities follows a December redesign that prioritized showing users which friends were attending events, a change that lifted average session length from two to ten minutes. The app’s “favorites” feature, added later, lets members display personal interests on public profiles. Dunn, who struggled to find community after relocating to Chicago, positions Pie as a digital layer for social clubs like run groups and art markets. Co-founder Nadya Okamoto, who leads the Zoomies run club, compares the platform to an early, non-toxic Facebook or Reddit. Current traction is strongest in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, though the app is available nationwide.