Gjesp
Position paper · Norway

Because life happens offline.

On boredom, isolation, and turning a dull moment into something real.

Reality has better graphics.

In short

We spend more and more time alone with a screen, and less with the people and places around us. Gjesp is a small attempt at the opposite: when you're bored or at a loose end, it points you toward something real to do nearby — then gets out of the way.

This page explains why we built it that way, how the app makes money without ads or selling your data, and what your subscription pays for. The quick version: no feed, no ads, your data is never sold, and we'd rather you closed the app and went outside.

§ 01The problem

The problem is addiction and isolation.

Phones and apps are built to be hard to put down. The cost isn't only the hours — it's that we spend more of our lives alone with a screen and less of it with the people and places around us. Over time, that quietly adds up to isolation.

A lot of this starts with boredom. At the first hint of it we reach for a phone. But boredom was never the problem. It's an ordinary, even useful feeling — the small pause right before you decide to do something. We've just lost the habit of staying in it long enough for it to lead anywhere. Gjesp doesn't treat that restless moment as something to kill. It treats it as a starting point, and helps you turn it into something real nearby — without pressure, and without becoming one more thing pulling at your attention.

§ 02Our approach

We want you to use Gjesp less, not more.

Gjesp is built on the opposite idea. You open it, find one real thing happening near you, and close it. There's no feed to scroll, no algorithm choosing what you see, and nothing designed to pull you back later.

The app has one job: give you enough to go and do something — then get out of your way.

§ 03What it does

It does a few things, on purpose.

Gjesp shows you local events and activities, calm places worth visiting (no star ratings, no reviews), people nearby who also want to do something, and new things to try in your area. Everything is chosen for your neighbourhood — not for keeping you in the app.

It isn't trying to be everything. It's meant to be the thing you check for a minute before you put your phone away.

§ 04What it costs

You pay a little — only for total freedom to publish.

Browsing and discovering on Gjesp is always free — and so is publishing, up to two events a month on a private account. A small subscription lifts that limit and gives you total freedom to publish.

Most apps are free because they make money another way — usually by selling your attention, or predictions about your behaviour, to advertisers. That business model is exactly what produces the endless feed and the constant pull. Charging a small amount lets us avoid it completely.1

So charging you isn't a growth trick — it's how we stay independent. A company paid by its users works for its users. A company paid by advertisers works for advertisers. We'd rather you paid us directly than have us sell your data.3

The plans
PlanPriceWhat it's for
Free0 krPublish up to 2 events per month, Browse events
Pro100 kr / mo30 days free trialPublish unlimited events, Basic Statistics
Business125 kr / mo, excl. VAT90 days free trialPublish unlimited events, Basic Statistics, Recurring events, Advanced Statistics, Use your business/marketing name as organizer

No plan includes ads.

§ 05Where money goes

Ten percent goes back to the community.

We set aside ten percent of our profits for the people who make local life better — organisers running events, building things, and bringing people together. The support can be financial, practical, or something else.4

We review applications as they come in. The rest covers running costs, which we keep low.

§ 06How it's hosted

Built to be light on people and the planet.

Gjesp runs on Nordic data centres powered by renewable energy. An app about not wasting your attention shouldn't waste resources either.

No ads anywhere. No selling of personal data. And we publish our environmental footprint rather than just claiming it's low.

In short

That's the whole idea. If it makes sense to you, the app is here.

Notes
  1. 1
    How free apps make money. When a service is free, it usually earns by selling users' attention, or predictions about their behaviour, to advertisers.
  2. 2
    Verification. Accounts and events are checked before they appear. Reach is kept small on purpose.
  3. 3
    Why we charge. Being paid by users keeps us accountable to users. The subscription is how we stay independent — it isn't a donation.
  4. 4
    Community support. Ten percent of profits goes to community organisers. Applications are reviewed as they arrive: support@gjesp.com.