In early January 2026, the tech world buzzed with news of Tangle, a new social app launched by Biz Stone (co-founder of Twitter) and Evan Sharp (co-founder of Pinterest).
Under their startup West Co., founded in 2023, Tangle positions itself as "a new kind of social network, designed for intentional living" — explicitly as a counter to the addictive, often harmful dynamics of mainstream platforms.
The founders, who helped shape the modern attention economy, now aim to mitigate what Sharp calls the "terrible devastation" inflicted on mental health and human connections over the past 15 years.
Stone and Sharp raised $29 million in a seed round led by Spark Capital, providing resources to refine this ambitious "antidote" to social media excess.
How Tangle Works: Intention Over Endless Scrolling
Launched in invite-only beta in November 2025, Tangle revolves around a simple daily prompt: "What’s your intention for today?" Users share personal goals, feelings, or plans via cards in a feed visible to select friends. Others respond with supportive emojis or reflections, fostering encouragement rather than likes or viral metrics.
The app emphasizes patterns over time — highlighting what keeps users centered — and may evolve to include weekly summaries or AI-assisted insights into life roles (e.g., parent, partner). Unlike dopamine-driven feeds, Tangle avoids algorithmic outrage, focusing on mindfulness, real-world connections, and gentle reminders to live purposefully.
Early testers describe it as a "gentle spiritual companion," pulling them toward meaningful aspirations amid endless scrolling elsewhere.
The Founders' Redemption Arc
Sharp, now West Co.'s CEO, has spoken of an "eight-year obsession" with understanding smartphones' disruptions to fix them. Stone, Twitter's co-founder and a board member at Mastodon, echoes regrets over engagement-optimized designs that amplify negativity.
Their credibility draws investors betting on "mindful tech" amid rising concerns about social media's mental health impacts.
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Challenges and the Road Ahead
Tangle remains in early alpha/beta, invite-only, with founders warning of potential significant changes before public launch. Scaling against network effects of giants like Meta or TikTok is tough, but its deliberate pace — prioritizing quality connections over growth — sets it apart.
In a landscape of burnout and regulation, Tangle offers a refreshing alternative: social tech that helps users live with purpose, not despite it. Whether it reshapes habits remains to be seen, but from these pioneers, it's a vision worth watching.
