Seeq - The First Experience Network
Get ready to experience the world around you in a whole new way!
Welcome to this renamed Substack: Seeqing with Jon Levesque.
More on that in a minute, first there’s something I need to say. Something that’s been on my mind for a little while now.
Your relationship with your phone is broken.
Social media promised us a connection with the world. With the people around us. Connections forged on mutual interest. Community built on shared experiences. And what did it deliver? Doom scrolling. Outrage farming. Misinformation. Data hoarding.
Do you feel good about how you use social media? How you use your phone? Probably not. You’ve probably turned off notifications. Unsubscribed from most emails. And you know what? Science says you’re not wrong. People with high phone usage get 27% worse sleep and report 47% higher levels of depression than people with low phone usage.
Something’s got to change.
Enter the Experience Network.
What if your phone could prompt you to engage in the world around you, rather than engage with an app designed to monetize your attention?
This is what we’re building with Seeq, launching in beta later this year, and this Substack is ‘the first steps’.
It’s because of Seeq that I went to SXSW in Austin, Texas this past week (hello to my new friends I met there!) I went to hear the pitch competition, to meet VC/Angels in mentor sessions, and to meet with other founders to hear how they talked about what it was they were dreaming and building.
My objective was to introduce Seeq. To hand out stickers, to have conversations, and to make as valuable of connections as I could!!
Honestly, even so, I just wanted to continue to shelter my idea... I didn’t want to tell anyone yet. I just felt like I needed to protect it a little longer!
You know what the downside to sheltering or protecting something too much is, though? You can actually hinder its growth by not allowing vital things it needs to grow, like partners, connections, and an ecosystem.
So I started talking about it. And you know what, while I felt fear, what I got back was excitement! People wanted to know how to download it today!
This is how I would quickly explain Seeq | The first Experience Network: Imagine yourself, like I was, in Austin, Texas. And when you come to Austin… you of course want BBQ! So before you get there, you open up the Seeq app and search “BBQ + Austin”. You find recommendations from local experts that Terry Black’s and Franklin’s seem to be two of the most popular spots in town, so you save them.
Now, when you’re living your best life at SXSW you know what is going to happen? You are going to get distracted. You have sessions, panels, premieres, concerts, after-parties, meet-ups and God knows what else. But on Tuesday night, while walking toward one of the major events, doom scrolling, probably, and you get a notification. It says:
| You are 0.2 miles from Terry Black’s BBQ
| Would you like to navigate there now?
| [Yes] [No]
And boom, your phone wasn’t a distraction, it redirected you in the real world to enjoy something you said you wanted, at the most opportune moment.. WHEN YOU ARE RIGHT THERE! 🤯 No more missing the things you wanted to see and do because life or your phone getting in the way.
Now, what if I said that’s really just the beginning?
Imagine if you could find things to do for “Half a day in San Diego” or “7 Days in Hawaii” At that point it's not just an engine to help you find one place, it's a fully guided experience walking you through any new destination, step, by step, by step. Now, you’re not just leaning on your own ability to find something in a city you’ve never been to, you’re introduced along the way to fellow travelers and local experts.
Also… this may be controversial: No AI. Ever. Who wants dinner recommendations from a computer that’s never eaten? Hiking trails recommended by a bit of code in a data center? Vistas and Points of Interest recommended by a piece of cold metal that’s never seen the sun? Nah.. No thanks!
Seeq will focus on real people and real creators, who will tell you what you don’t want to miss in the city across the country and the neighborhood around the corner.
With the app and creator experience coming later this year, you’ll be the first to know. Until then, you’ll just have to take some weekly recommendations from me and some of my friends.. Stay with us and we will update you as we make progress!
Speaking of which, Now that we got introduced to the Experience Network, here’s some spots not to miss in Austin, whether you’re traveling in for SXSW, Austin City Limits, or something else:
Terry Blacks BBQ - It doesn’t run out, the line moves quickly.. just bring a pocket full of cash as it is quite pricey. ALT: Franklins (want to stand in line at 7am? This is your spot)
Gourdough’s Doughnuts - These donuts are somewhere between a doughtnut, a pancake and a fried dough. They are incredible and 1 is enough per person ( I fucked up and ordered 4)
Mothers Ruin - Great NEW spot for Cocktails and Bar food - Right next to several music venues.
III Forks Steakhouse - Aged Ribeye, Bone in Filet, All the accoutrements, Killer service. This spot was a do not miss.
The Oasis - Austin Tx wont offer you much in the way of killer views. This is not one of its strong suits. But for the best sunset i could find was at the Oasis, FOR SURE!
Lazarus Brewing - Some great Beer and Tacos with a cool atmosphere. Simple. Easy. Would definitely go back and chill on a nice warm evening.
And so, Austin was awesome! I hope you enjoy some of the great spots I went and enjoyed. But more importantly.. I hope you will sign up to be on our waitlist for Seeq at http://seeq.ing so you can be the first to find ALL the best around you no matter where you are - and stay tuned here for more tips, itineraries and updates on our progress. From here, we start to build out loud!
Hope you all find what you seeq!
- Jon