Daily writing prompt

Come up with a crazy business idea.

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Yes, this is as crazy as it sounds… or is it?

The need for companionship is an innate human desire. We long to be with others–from sharing coffees, spinning yarns, sitting quietly in rooms together scrolling through our phones, or simply doing nothing. We crave contact, and yet, loneliness is a growing epidemic. (Between 2022 and 2023, nearly 1 in 4 adults reported feelings of loneliness.)

We see it all the time on social media–people posting perfectly edited photographs with their friends, living it up large, and showing how happy and enriched their lives are. (But are they? Remember that what you’re seeing on social media are only very small snapshots of people’s lives, and may not be the whole truth. After all, a filter can hide a multitude of sins.)

But sometimes we want to be the ones posting our adventures to the ‘gram… but people are busy and don’t always have the time. And, there are many people who do not feel comfortable going solo.

The solution: ‘Rent a Friend’ for any occasion! Wedding plus one? Sorted. Vacation buddy? Done. Theatre, movie, or dinner companion? Bingo. Don’t want to go to a concert alone? You’re covered.

How would it work? Well:

1. It would be app based, with people signing up on the understanding that they would be renting someone’s time, or being paid for their own.
2. People would choose their preferences—i.e. what occasions they’re willing to be a companion for – concerts, shows, dinner etc. Geographical preferences would also be available, as well as linking to social media accounts to find people nearby/shared acquaintances with friends…
3. The person who is looking for a companion would upload their ‘upcoming event’ and others would swipe ‘yes’ if they would be willing to attend. The uploader would then be able to look through the responses and choose their friend.
4. Once matched with a friend, the two people – the uploader and the responder – would be able to converse with one another, finding out a little bit more (interests, background etc.).
5. Once the event is over, the uploader would have the option to confirm that the responder attended the event with them. The responder would then get paid.

And that would be it!

Of course, there are some drawbacks. The idea of paying someone for their friendship is probably not appealing to many people. But, then again, would the security of knowing you have someone to do things with be worth overlooking that? After all, if you knew you were getting paid to go to an event, would you cancel?