Building Communities in an Age of AI & Loneliness | Jason's Startup Story
Fri Oct 03 2025
In this interview, I sit down with Jason Van Dyk, co-founder of Sociable, a community-focused events platform redefining how people connect.
Jason shares his journey from being an introverted university student to teaching himself how to code, the early struggles of launching during Covid, and his vision for building authentic communities in an age dominated by AI and digital noise.
This conversation dives deep into entrepreneurship, resilience, mental health, and the future of human connection.
Here are some of the topics we cover in this episode:
The story behind Sociable and why Jason built it Struggles with loneliness and creating authentic connections Teaching himself to code after failed developer partnerships Launching during Covid and adapting with creative solutions Lessons from scope creep, missed deadlines, and early mistakes Why padel and other accessible activities are exploding Thoughts on AI, creativity, and the loneliness epidemic Building community-driven businesses vs. chasing hype The mental health toll of entrepreneurship and coping mechanisms Fitness, faith, and discipline as daily anchors The strain entrepreneurship places on relationships and friendships Lessons from fundraising, resilience, and startup culture Plans for Sociable's growth in South Africa and beyond 👉 If you're a founder craving real connection, I'm building the Deep Movement Collective (DMC), a global community that matches small groups of entrepreneurs to meet in person each month through movement-based activities. Think hikes, ocean dips, trail runs, coffee walks, real conversations with people who get the journey you're on.
You can apply to join the community here → https://the-dmc.com
Follow Jason:
https://www.instagram.com/jasonvandyk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvd/ Download the Sociable app: https://www.thesociableapp.com Follow me:
https://www.instagram.com/koabrowne/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/koabrowne/
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In this interview, I sit down with Jason Van Dyk, co-founder of Sociable, a community-focused events platform redefining how people connect. Jason shares his journey from being an introverted university student to teaching himself how to code, the early struggles of launching during Covid, and his vision for building authentic communities in an age dominated by AI and digital noise. This conversation dives deep into entrepreneurship, resilience, mental health, and the future of human connection. Here are some of the topics we cover in this episode: The story behind Sociable and why Jason built it Struggles with loneliness and creating authentic connections Teaching himself to code after failed developer partnerships Launching during Covid and adapting with creative solutions Lessons from scope creep, missed deadlines, and early mistakes Why padel and other accessible activities are exploding Thoughts on AI, creativity, and the loneliness epidemic Building community-driven businesses vs. chasing hype The mental health toll of entrepreneurship and coping mechanisms Fitness, faith, and discipline as daily anchors The strain entrepreneurship places on relationships and friendships Lessons from fundraising, resilience, and startup culture Plans for Sociable's growth in South Africa and beyond 👉 If you're a founder craving real connection, I'm building the Deep Movement Collective (DMC), a global community that matches small groups of entrepreneurs to meet in person each month through movement-based activities. Think hikes, ocean dips, trail runs, coffee walks, real conversations with people who get the journey you're on. You can apply to join the community here → https://the-dmc.com Follow Jason: https://www.instagram.com/jasonvandyk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvd/ Download the Sociable app: https://www.thesociableapp.com Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/koabrowne/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/koabrowne/