Asking when someone is available or messaging someone about an event can be better. Think about it, a lot of our messaging apps are designed for direct communications, not for coordinating events. Yet, a lot of our text messages involves coordination—figuring out event details and keeping track of them. By understanding the spectrum of scheduling experiences, we can level up.
This exercise, is inspired by Airbnb's quest for a 7-star experience. The exercise involves thinking of what a 7-star experience would be for a particlar goal instead of just a 5 star experience. Here's what we thought are the different levels of experinces for coordinating personal events.
Levels of Coordinating Personal Events
| Rating Level | Title | Description | Technology Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Star | In-the-Moment Planning | Pure chaos, spontaneous plans rarely come to fruition. | None (e.g., In-person) |
| 2-Star | Barely Hanging On | Patchwork of tools, scattered details, inconsistent plans. | Texts, Instant Messengers (e.g., Messengers: IMessage, RCS/SMS, Facebook Messenger + Calendars) |
| 3-Star | Making Do | Designated coordinator, manual efforts, still a burden. | Messengers, Manual Efforts |
| 4-Star | Functional but Flawed | Shared calendars, easier to find details, challenging to maintain. | Shared Calendars (e.g., Timetreeapp, Shared iCloud Calendar, Shared Google Calendar, CaughtUp) |
| 5-Star | Proficient and Coordinated | Integrated tools for scheduling (messenger, calendar, invites, shared urls, rsvps), streamlined planning, consistent gatherings. | Integrated Tools (e.g., CaughtUp) |
| 6-Star | Optimized and Efficient wtih basic AI | Natural language scheduling with shared calendars to streamlining planning. | Smart calendars (e.g., CaughtUp) (Fantastical Calendar, Siri, and Google Assistant but not for coordinating events with others.) |
| 7-Star | Events Suggested by AI based on Schedules and Mood | AI-driven suggestions, personalized invites, effortless meetups. | (CaughtUp in the future.) |
| 8-Star | Intelligent Prioritization | Scheduler makes decisions for you, prioritizing meaningful events. | AI Integrated Shared Calendars (CaughtUp in the future)(Motion but not for coordinating events with others.) |
| 9-Star | A Personal Assistant | Personal assistant handles planning, reminders, and coordination. | Personal Assistant |
| 10-Star | A Personal Assistant that can Use Your Credit Card | Events are planned and booked to your preferences. | Advanced AI or personal assistant acting on your behalf |
⭐ 1-Star: In-the-Moment Planning
At the 1-star level, making meetups happen is pure chaos. You might run into friends and try to plan something on the spot. Without having each other's phone numbers or getting responses on messengers, plans rarely come to fruition. The frustration of constantly missing out on quality time leads to strained relationships and a sense of disconnection.
Realistically, many people find themselves here because it's familiar and spontaneous. The lack of coordination tools can be due to not having a need to plan ahead regularly or simply not being aware of better solutions.
⭐⭐ 2-Star: Barely Hanging On
A step above chaos, the 2-star experience relies on a patchwork of tools—texts, social media, and memory. The stars have to align just right, and often they don't. This results in back-and-forth messaging, scrolling through texts to remember details, or relying on memory. Even when events are planned, the details are scattered and inconsistent.
People remain at this level because it feels like an improvement over the chaos of 1-star. However, the lack of integrated tools and the effort required to coordinate plans make it hard to level up.
⭐⭐⭐ 3-Star: Making Do
At the 3-star level, there's a designated person in the group who coordinates everything. They follow up with everyone, plan the event, send reminders, and manage the details. While this improves coordination, meetups still rarely happen, and the process remains a burden for the initiators. Friends still rely heavily on messengers and manual efforts to make meetups happen. It's better, but far from ideal.
Many groups have someone who takes on the coordinator and initiator role, but this can be burdensome and unsustainable. The reliance on messengers and manual efforts can prevent groups from moving to a more efficient system that can be less annoying.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4-Star: Functional but Flawed
The 4-star experience involves more structured planning with shared calendar events. Couples or families might try having shared calendars to share events and whereabouts. For most people, it's difficult to set up and maintain, as they don't always keep everything in a calendar and don't open that app as often. For friend groups, it's too challenging to coordinate and maintain consistency. However, with shared calendar events, it's easier to find event details and get the information you need when you need it. The address and invite are right there at your fingertips, eliminating the need to manually type addresses or details by each person individually.
Despite the benefits, most people don't live at this level because setting up and maintaining shared calendars can be challenging. The effort required to keep everything updated and the lack of consistent use can deter people from fully embracing this system. CaughtUp is doing its best to make sharing schedules/events easier and more integrated with user's habits.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-Star: Proficient and Coordinated (CaughtUp is likely here)
At 5 stars, friend groups feel more in sync with the help of CaughtUp. The integration of messaging and calendar features allows for shared schedules and events. Planning becomes more consistent and people feel more connected with shared events. People can easily get details in one place, avoid schedule conflicts, keep up with others and receive notifications to ensure they don't accidentally forget or miss the event. The process is much more streamlined and efficient than scrolling back in text messages to find details or going back and forth with a calendar app to save event details.
This level of coordination requires adopting new tools like CaughtUp.app, which can be a barrier for those resistant to change. However, once integrated, it offers significant improvements in planning and coordination.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 6-Star: Optimized and Efficient with Basic AI
The 6-star experience is characterized by seamless coordination. With CaughtUp, you can schedule events via natural language in chat or by uploading a flyer with event details with the help of AI, making the process feel intuitive and effortless. Shared calendars among friends ensure everyone stays on the same page. Friends experience newfound spontaneity, deeper connections, and stress-free planning with the shared schedules. The magic of those meaningful moments—laughing over coffee, catching up on life, or simply being together—becomes a treasured reality.
Achieving this level requires embracing advanced technology and natural language processing, which might be a learning curve for some. However, the effortless and intuitive process can significantly enhance social experiences.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7-Star: Events Suggested by AI based on Schedules and Mood
The pinnacle of social experiences, the 7-star level, is transformative. CaughtUp suggests events based on schedules and moods, making planning easier. Imagine, this is an assistant that knows how you spend your time. With just that info advanced features like AI-driven suggestions of thigns to do with friends and smart reminders about things you may care about can make impromptu gatherings and scheduling effortless. The joy of spontaneous meetups and quality time is now a regular occurrence.
Moving to this level involves trust in AI and automation, which some users might be hesitant about. The personalized events and warm invites, however, can significantly enhance the experience and make it more appealing.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8-Star: Intelligent Prioritization
At the 8-star level, your scheduler can make decisions for you, such as skipping less important events to make room for more meaningful ones. For instance, if you usually go to the gym every Tuesday but would skip it to meet up with a friend you rarely see, your calendar will automatically adjust. This intelligent prioritization ensures that you can make the most of your time and prioritize what matters most.
Reaching this level involves trusting an automated system to make decisions on your behalf, which can be daunting. However, the benefit of having a system that prioritizes what matters most can lead to more meaningful and fulfilling social interactions.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9-Star: A Personal Assistant
The 9-star experience introduces a personal assistant that makes meetups happen seamlessly. The assistant handles all the planning, reminders, and coordination, ensuring that friends can focus on enjoying their time together. I have no idea if this is possible. Every detail is taken care of, making every meetup a stress-free and joyous occasion.
Adopting a personal assistant for social planning might feel like a significant leap, but the stress-free experience it provides can be a game-changer for maintaining and enhancing friendships.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10-Star: A Personal Assistant that can Use Your Credit Card
The ultimate experience, the 10-star level, means events are planned exactly how you want to spend your time and bookings are taken care of. You just have to show up and can focus on the actual experience.
Reaching this pinnacle involves a high level of trust in the system's ability to understand and cater to your preferences. The reward is an experience that feels perfectly tailored to you and executed by an assistant, allowing you to focus on the more enjoyable and meaningful parts of an event.
CaughtUp is designed to guide friend groups from the chaos of 1-star coordination to... hopefully a 10-star experience, the future of scheduling by providing the technology and features people need to stay connected and make the most of their time together. While change can be challenging, the benefits of a more organized and fulfilling social life are well worth the effort. From personalized AI assistance to advanced coordination suites, CaughtUp is the ultimate companion for nurturing relationships and creating lasting memories.