What I Built: Danielle Baskin’s app for heart-to-hearts with strangers

Danielle Baskin, an artist and entrepreneur, created Dialup, an app that connects strangers for ephemeral conversations on topics chosen by users. The app has grown from 2,000 users to 31,000 users across 190 countries, with creator Baskin's favorite story being about two strangers who talked without realizing their nationalities. Baskin's projects often blend humor, art, and business principles, and she has used creative marketing tactics such as sending chain letters to investors to fund her ventures. With Dialup expanding, Baskin plans to create more specific conversational connections and explore immersive audio games on the phone, running projects on inspiration and rapid iteration with a focus on whimsy and viral appeal.