Zolo: a local discovery app

I’m Gledi, and I’m building Zolo, a local discovery app for the moment when you want to do something but don’t know what. You tell it your mood and where you are, and it returns a short list of places matched to your taste instead of a long page of ranked results. When you can’t pick, Surprise Me chooses for you, and Weekend Planner and Trip Planner are there for the times you do want something laid out. There’s a free plan, and it’s live now.

The idea comes from a frustration I think most people share: deciding where to go often takes longer than going. I kept watching evenings disappear into scrolling reviews and group chats that never landed on a plan. Zolo is my attempt at a middle path. It keeps the places short and good, leaves the decision with you, and only plans when you ask it to.

It’s early, and I’d rather say so plainly. I’m a solo founder and a student, the product is young, and I’m still learning what people want from it. I’m starting with college students, who are often new to an area, working with a small budget, and willing to try things.

Here’s what I’m working on next. The first is making saved lists the center of the experience, because a saved-places list shouldn’t become a graveyard of spots you never visit. The second is a Smart Route Builder for Premium that takes the places you’ve chosen and puts them in a sensible order, with travel times and directions, so a day out doesn’t mean crossing town three times. After that comes a more useful free tier and light ways to see where friends are headed, without Zolo turning into a social feed. An iOS app follows once the website is solid.

I’d love specific feedback more than general praise. When you try it, where do you get stuck or lose interest? Do the suggestions feel like they’re matched to you or generic? And if you’re a student, what would make you open an app like this on a Friday afternoon rather than just texting your friends? I’ll reply to every comment and fold what I hear into the roadmap.

Thanks for reading.