Frequently Asked Questions

GoodFriends is for women in midlife who would welcome a wider local circle, a few closer friendships, more women to do things with — or some combination of all three. You don't have to be starting from zero. Many women joining already have people they love and simply want more everyday connection nearby. If making friends as an adult has felt harder or less straightforward than you expected, GoodFriends was built for you.

You don't have to feel lonely to belong here. You may be new to the area, working from home, entering a different stage of life, or simply ready to meet more women who have time for something new. Wanting more friendship is human, and it doesn't mean the relationships you already have don't count.

Yes. GoodFriends is a community of women, and that's intentional — it shapes how outings are planned, how the Friendship Promise is written, and how safe the experience feels. It isn't a comment on anyone else. It's the community I know how to build well.

GoodFriends looks beyond one shared hobby. Matching may consider location, availability, interests, life stage, values, social energy, preferred activities, and what each woman wants friendship to add to her life. The goal isn't to find someone identical to you — it's to find enough compatibility to make meeting feel worthwhile.

A questionnaire can't tell us who you'll click with. It can help us introduce you to women whose interests, schedules, and friendship goals give you a reasonable place to start. As more Bay Area women join, the range of possible matches will grow.

That's okay, and it isn't a failure. Sometimes it isn't the right person, timing, group, or activity. One experience doesn't say anything final about your ability to connect. We'll check in after outings — what you tell us can help shape who you meet next.

The same goes for an unanswered hello. People may be busy, uncertain, or not available right now — you don't need to send another message or chase the connection, and it won't stop you from receiving other matches.

Yes — that's an important part of GoodFriends. This isn't designed to be an endless series of new faces. When a person or group seems like a good fit, we want to create opportunities to meet again. Repeated time is often what allows comfort and friendship to develop.

Outings are only scheduled once enough women have confirmed, and you'll know the plan and who's expected before you go. If plans fall apart at the last minute — someone gets sick, the weather turns — we'll tell you rather than let you sit alone at a table. If you ever do get left waiting, tell us. That's a problem for us to fix, not something for you to absorb.

You're in good company — this comes up more than almost anything else. Outings are small and built around doing something, so there's a walk or a meal or a game to carry the conversation. You don't have to be the one who fills the silence, and you don't have to be anyone's version of outgoing to belong here.

That's useful feedback. You can tell us what worked, what didn't, and what you'd prefer next time. You decide which matches and invitations to accept, what to share, and how quickly to let a connection develop. You can always decline an outing, step back from a connection, take a break, or close your account whenever you want — without a conversation about why.

It's the shared agreement at the center of the community. Everyone agrees to follow through and communicate when plans change, be present, stay curious, be honest and kind, respect different personalities and ways of connecting, and give friendship time. It doesn't require you to become close to everyone or share more than feels comfortable — it simply gives us a shared way to treat one another. Read the full Promise →

No. You may mainly want women to hike with, hear music with, try restaurants with, play games with, or call when you want to get out of the house. You may also want a few relationships with more emotional depth. You may want both — GoodFriends makes room for friendships to remain activity-based or occasional, and for some to become closer over time.

Safety is part of how the experience is designed. During the founding pilot, everyone creates a Friendship Profile, outings stay small, in-person gatherings take place in public or familiar settings, and you know the plan and expected attendees before you go. Everyone agrees to the Friendship Promise, and you can decline an invitation, step away from a connection, or contact GoodFriends directly with a concern.

No community can guarantee another person's behavior or eliminate every risk. GoodFriends will take concerns seriously and continue improving its safety practices as we learn.

Tell us. You can report a concern about anyone in the community, and you don't need to have proof, a perfect explanation, or a serious incident to justify it — "something felt off" is enough to write to us. We'll look into it, we won't ask you to keep meeting someone you'd rather not, and you'll never be the one who has to smooth it over.

Your profile and conversations are not public to other members. You decide what personal information to share and when. GoodFriends handles account and message data according to its Privacy Policy — please review that policy for details about storage, support, safety, and legal requirements.

Yes, free during the founding pilot in the Bay Area. Membership or Founding Circle pricing may be introduced later, and you'll get clear information well before anything changes.

It's free because the experience is still being tested. In return, founding members agree to complete short surveys, report technical problems or confusing moments, give honest feedback about what worked and what didn't, and be open to one 30-minute interview with Janine if invited. Honest feedback — including when something doesn't work — is what makes the pilot useful.

No. Creating a Friendship Profile does not require a card and will never trigger an automatic charge. There's no trial quietly converting into a subscription. If GoodFriends ever costs money, you'll be asked first, in plain language.

GoodFriends is beginning in the Bay Area. Starting locally gives women a realistic chance to meet again without every plan becoming a major project. We plan to learn from the Bay Area before expanding one community at a time.

An optional six-week pilot for a limited cohort of Bay Area women who want a steadier rhythm and more chances to connect. Each week includes a facilitated friendship gathering and one thoughtfully selected breakout partner, plus small local outings that bring compatible pairs together with other women they may enjoy knowing.

It's entirely optional. The core GoodFriends experience — your profile, matches, and local outings — stands on its own, and creating a Friendship Profile does not commit you to the Circle. See the full details →

Outings are open and ongoing. They're posted, you RSVP to what fits your week, and over time you meet a wider range of women — for a lot of women that flexibility is the whole appeal.

The Founding Circle is closed and concentrated: one small group, the same women, every week for six weeks, plus friendship dates in between. Outings give you range. The Circle gives you repetition with the same few people.

Most women will want both at different moments, and joining GoodFriends doesn't require choosing.

We ask Circle members to attend at least four of the six weekly sessions, take part in the paired conversation during sessions they attend, make a good-faith effort to join at least two local outings when workable options are offered, complete brief weekly and final surveys, be open to a 30-minute interview with Janine if invited, and follow the Friendship Promise.

Based on availability for the six-week schedule, location and profile fit within the cohort, willingness to participate consistently, and the overall mix of people needed to test the experience. Not being selected for the first Circle does not remove you from GoodFriends — you'll remain part of the broader community and can receive matches and outing invitations as local groups form.

No. GoodFriends is solely for platonic friendship between women.

No. I'm not a therapist, and GoodFriends is not here to tell you how to become a better or more worthy friend. You already know a great deal about being a good friend. GoodFriends is a friendship community built from research, lived experience, shared activities, and the understanding that adult friendship can be hard.