Most of us carry a specific kind of guilt. We forget birthdays. We mean to check in but postpone. We lose track of people who matter during life transitions—moves, divorces, medical challenges. WhatsApp groups feel transactional (and there are just too many of them). We have the connection, but not the quality.
Jules (Gulin) Olcer, founder of Village, believes we’ve passed a cultural tipping point. We’re drowning in messages but starving for meaningful contact. Seven percent of Instagram time happens with people we actually know. The other 93%? Content from strangers.
Village isn’t another social network. It’s what Jules calls a “relationship operating system.” A tool that sends contextual nudges to help you show up for your 5-150 meaningful relationships. By facilitating vulnerability it.
In this conversation, Tom and Jules unpack:
Why Village started with a scrappy ChatGPT + Canva + WhatsApp experiment
How personal data can create emotionally resonant experiences (not just transactional ones)
Why they track “updates per week” instead of “time in app”
The bet that incumbents like Meta won’t solve this problem (and why their 7% stat proves it)
How AI becomes a facilitator, not a friend. Recognising patterns so humans can connect in real life
What happens when you design for peace of mind instead of engagement metrics
Jules also shares founder realities: moving from Dubai to London based on market signals, navigating the “every journey is unique” advice landscape, and why maximising your “surface area for luck” matters more than following Silicon Valley playbooks.
If you’ve ever felt the guilt of scattered relationships or wondered what social tools could be if they weren’t designed for addiction, this conversation offers a different path forward.
Links
Village: https://www.villagesocial.app/
Village is building what they call a “relationship operating system”—a private space where you can track, nurture, and show up for your 5-150 meaningful relationships. Unlike traditional social networks optimised for time-in-app, Village measures success by how well it helps you maintain connections without guilt or overwhelm.
Jules Olcer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gulinolcer/
Jules is the founder of Village, a social app designed to help people show up for the relationships that matter most. With a background in psychology and experience in creative industries and climate-related projects, Jules brings a systems-thinking approach to solving the loneliness epidemic. Village uses AI to send contextual nudges that facilitate deeper human connection without replacing it.
Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-horak/
Tom is the founder of All Shapes, a design and product studio working with founders, scale-ups and innovative enterprises to build meaningful digital tools that last. All Shapes blends craft, culture and human clarity — helping teams move from early concepts to high-performing, values-aligned experiences.Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of culture, values, and technology.
