How it works
If you would like a clearer picture of the event before coming, here is how it works in more detail.
1. You receive an anonymous event badge
When you arrive, you will receive a simple event badge with a color and a number, for example, "Blue 4." For the rest of the event, that badge is all that represents you. There is no name tag to fill out and no profile to create, so you decide what you share about yourself and when.
2. You choose topics you would be comfortable talking about
Once everyone has arrived and is ready, you will open a simple web app in your phone's browser, so you do not need to download anything to your phone. In this web app, you will be able to choose the interests, hobbies, and topics you would be comfortable talking about with other people. To enter the app, you will use the color and number on your badge.
The questionnaire is designed in a very specific way: it has two parts. In the first part, you will be asked questions that let you choose broad areas you are interested in. For example, you might see the question, "What kinds of media do you enjoy watching, reading, or listening to?" and choose "Movies and TV shows" from the options. The second part of the questionnaire is created based on what you selected in the first part. Because you chose "Movies and TV shows" in the first part, the second part of the questionnaire will show you the question, "Which movie and TV genres do you enjoy?" There, you can choose the specific genres you like. For example, you might choose Comedy, Science Fiction, and Documentaries.
Because of this structure, you only have to answer questions that are relevant to you. You can choose the areas that are actually relevant to you and then clarify them in the second part. This saves you time while still providing the specific details needed to help find people in the room with similar interests. Also, you do not need to choose every interest you have. You can choose only the interests and hobbies you would feel comfortable talking about with other people at the event.
3. The system looks for shared conversation topics
After everyone has submitted their answers, the app compares the responses and looks for overlaps. The app checks whether there are people in the room whose selected interests and hobbies overlap with yours.
Based on those overlaps, the app sets up short, organized conversation rounds between participants.
4. You get clear directions for each round
When the analysis is complete and the rounds begin, you will see specific instructions in the web app on your phone telling you what to do next.
On the screen, you will see two main things: a "conversation station," meaning a specific spot in the room, such as table number 3, and the badge of the person you are paired with for that round, for example, "Green 6." You simply go to the indicated place and find the person with that badge.
This makes it less awkward to start the conversation. You approach the person not as someone walking up out of nowhere, but as a participant following the same event instructions. You both received the same instruction, so the conversation starts in a way that feels natural and expected for both of you.
5. Each conversation starts with a shared topic or a discussion question
The web app does more than show where to go in the room and which badge to look for. It also shows what you have in common and gives you questions to discuss.
If the app finds shared interests from the second part of the questionnaire between you and the person you are paired with for that round, for example, if you both selected "Science Fiction" and "Comedies" in the Movies and TV shows category, the screen will show you that overlap. Along with it, a special prompt, called a conversation starter, will appear, for example: "Among the movie and TV genres you have in common, what titles have stood out to you, and what keeps those kinds of stories interesting for you?" This gives you a clear reason to begin the conversation, helps you understand what you have in common, and even gives you a question tailored to that shared topic. The screen can show more than one shared topic. You will be able to see all the specific interests you have in common, so you have a clear understanding of what connects you and what you can talk about without having to invent conversation topics from scratch.
If no detailed overlaps are found during that round, which is completely normal because a questionnaire cannot cover everything about you, the app will still offer you something to talk about. On the screen, you will see open-ended discussion questions. For example: "What is something you discovered completely by accident recently and now recommend to everyone?" This gives you a safe and interesting starting point, allowing common ground to emerge during the live conversation itself.
Your conversation partner sees only what relates to the current conversation. If you chose science fiction, documentaries, and comedies, but only science fiction overlaps with theirs, then only science fiction shows up on the screen. The rest of your list stays with you. The system gives you a way into the conversation without putting everything about you in front of everyone in the room.
6. You are still in control of the conversation
Once you find each other and start talking, it becomes a normal conversation between two people. You do not have to follow a strict script. The suggested question is only there to help start the conversation. After that, the conversation can develop in any direction that feels natural and comfortable for you.
7. Each round has a time limit
Every conversation has a set time limit, and on the app screen you will see how much time is left for that round. On average, one round lasts 10-15 minutes.
In most social situations, leaving a conversation that is not going well can be very difficult and awkward. Here, you do not need to come up with excuses. The round ends on its own according to the shared rules of the event. If the conversation does not go well, you can simply move on to the next round. And if it turns out to be interesting, you can choose to continue talking after the event.
8. Staying in touch is your choice
When all the rounds are finished, the event itself ends as well. At that point, the app's role is complete. The project is designed to help you while you are physically in the room and not beyond that. After the event, the system does not continue your conversations online.
The event does not create a personal archive you can return to later. There's no list of the people you talked with, and no history of the interests you had in common with other participants. Also, because you never provided a phone number, email address, or social media links in order to participate, the system simply does not have your contact information and cannot give it to other participants.
If a conversation was interesting and you want to stay in touch, you decide for yourself whether to exchange contact information in person. The event does not create any online connection afterward, so any decision to stay in touch is yours alone, made outside the app.
Now that you've seen how it works, you can add yourself to the list of interested participants here:
If you'd like a bit more before deciding, the main page covers why I started this and how the interest list works.
And if anything is unclear, feel free to email me at vlad@ooverlap.net.
Thanks for reading. I hope to meet you at one of the events.