Soo… I think this is the official moment where I say that my journey into becoming a gamer has actually begun. Which feels slightly insane to say out loud, because if you read my previous blog post, you already know that up until very recently, my entire experience with gaming was… watching my brother rage at games and thinking “that looks stressful, I will pass.” And yet here we are. As I mentioned before, my boss Lise told me to start with Palia, and I trusted her recommendation, not at all aware that this decision would immediately spiral into me becoming slightly obsessed. The moment I opened the game and realized… oh no The music situation = an unexpected emotional attachment?? Because the moment I opened the game, before I even understood what I was supposed to do, before I clicked anything, the first thing that hit me was the music, and I don’t think people talk about this enough, but the music and sounds?? It was so good that I actually paused for a second just to listen, which is not something I expected to do in my first ever gaming experience. And this is dangerous for me specifically, because I have a very well-documented history of becoming emotionally attached to soundtracks, to the point where I have entire Spotify playlists dedicated only to movie scores, so the second I heard that background music, I had a very clear realization that I might soon become the type of person who has a separate playlist just for game soundtracks. Which feels like a personality shift. Character creation took… longer than expected Identity crisis but make it cute Then we move on to the visuals, which I was not prepared for at all, because I get to create my own character like that, with full control over hairstyles, makeup, and outfits, like I lost track of time just sitting there, clicking through options, trying to decide who I want to be in this world, which is already a slightly existential question if you think about it for too long. At some point I realized I had spent more than half an hour just choosing what to wear, and instead of being concerned, I was like… no, this makes sense, this feels correct, this is part of the process. Needed 30 minutes to choose an outfit… just a girl. But look how cute I look, right?? Also, why are the prettiest dresses not free?? I would like to discuss this. Why are these NPCs nicer than real people Why do I feel more welcomed here than IRL?? Once I finally entered the world, something else happened that I did not expect at all, which is that the people there were… nice, helping me, explaining things, guiding me, and I just kept thinking how strange it is that when I moved into my real apartment, nobody appeared out of nowhere to walk me through life and make sure I’m doing okay. But here, in a game I just opened five minutes ago, I already have a super cozy support system. Can I stay here forever?? That’s when it started clicking for me, very slowly, that gaming is about being in a space where interaction feels easier, softer, less forced, which honestly explains a lot about why people choose to socialize this way instead of through traditional platforms. I get it now guys. I started chopping trees and had a minor life realization. Why was this… therapeutic? I got lost. Completely. No regrets. I had things to do, but curiosity said no I was also supposed to find someone who would teach me how to hunt and catch bugs, which I fully intended to do, but somehow I got completely distracted by just existing in the world, running around, stopping every few seconds because something caught my attention, like “wait look at this,” and “what is that,” and “why is everything so pretty,” and before I knew it, I had absolutely no idea where I was or where I was supposed to go. I took a picture of myself, look how pretty everything is!! I was literally walking in circles. And still enjoying it btw, which I think says everything. The hunting situation (emotionally complicated) I did it… but at what cost Eventually, I did finally find Hassian and figured out the hunting part. And while I understand that it’s part of the game and necessary and normal, I also had a small internal crisis about it, because I just met these creatures and now I’m supposed to attack them, which felt slightly personal, and I’m not entirely sure how to emotionally process that yet. So that’s something I will be unpacking later. Why this experience actually surprised me But overall, I think what surprised me the most is not even the gameplay itself, but the feeling of it all, because I went into this thinking I would just try something new for the sake of it, maybe struggle a bit, maybe laugh at myself, and instead I ended up feeling calm, curious, and weirdly present in a way I did not expect. Like I now GET IT why people love gaming. And I didn’t expect to finish my first gaming session and immediately think, I want to go back, which feels like a very important development in my journey. So yes, I would say this was a very successful first game, even though I still don’t fully know what I’m doing, and I definitely have a lot more to explore. And this whole experience made something very clear to me, games already feel like social spaces, and the only thing missing is making those connections a bit more intentional and easier to navigate, which is exactly what Goblins is trying to do by helping people meet and spend time together inside the games they already love. So if anyone wants to experience this chaos with me, I will be there, and we can play some Palia together!

I feel like the Nintendo Switch often gets less love than PC, XBox, and PS gaming and that makes me sad. So! I wanted to make a blog post that's all about free video games you can play on Nintendo Switch , with your friends, or random Goblins you find along the way. In this list, you’ll find a mix of free co-op and team multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch , from shared online worlds like Warframe , Fortnite , and Palia , to team-based multiplayer chaos in Apex Legends , MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE , and Arcadegeddon . You’ll also find more social, low-pressure multiplayer games like Rec Room  and Fishing Planet , plus some wonderfully chaotic or niche picks such as Bleach: Brave Souls , Chickenoidz Super Pre-Party , and Twin Cores . This list is built by yours truly, not algorithms, so it’s worth checking back as I'll keep adding more free multiplayer Nintendo Switch games over time. And if you’re not just looking for games to add to your wishlist, but also for a place where you can actually meet new people with similar interests, and chat/hang out while you play, come hang with us at Goblins!

My new (and awesome) boss Lise casually added “play Palia ” to my to-do list this week and I said “okay period,” like I’m not literally someone who’s never played a game in her life. Shocking I know, I know!! But in my defense, it was probably because my mom genuinely thought video games would turn me into a psychopath….Anyways, I’m sure that begs the question for all of you reading this: How the hell did I, the girl whose only exposure to gaming has been watching her brother rage at League of Legends for a decade, end up on the marketing team for Goblins ??? Ohh it's a really wild story, it’s a genuinely unhinged sequence of events, and I fear you deserve the full lore. Let’s rewind! Chapter 1: The Most chaotic job application of my Life It all started when I was on holiday, being in my vacation-me energy.  You know that version of yourself that you’re only when you are on vacation?? (People we met on a vacation movie mentioned, I know TikTok is going crazy over that movie now and I GET IT). Well, I was having the time of my life on my vacation! I was also scrolling through Linkedin. I can see how having the time of my life and scrolling through Linkedin can’t connect AT ALL, I’m aware trust me, but let’s get going. As I was scrolling through, I ran across a certain job posting post. It was definitely not typical and once I read and saw what was posted by Lise, I was OBSESSED!. Why? it gave that chaotic, real energy that I loveee! Here’s what the post said: So I read it once, then again, then I started imagining myself working there, then I started panicking because I clearly was not qualified, then I started convincing myself I am actually very qualified, and then I started spiraling. (love my brain) My brain went like: okay you’re not a publicist, or a gamer, BUT you are chaotic, and creative and funny and delusional in a productive way so maybe that’s the point?? And then and there I decided: I MUST SEND AN EMAIL! I don’t think I will get this job, but I absolutely HAVE to do it, and be delulu (being delulu is a part of my personality at this point). They wanted someone with chaotic energy, oh they might have said that too soon. I sat at the random coffee shop, and started writing an email like a maniac. I couldn’t stop, I was just writing anything that came to my mind. I truly entered my flow state. And if you think their job posting was chaotic, just look at what I’ve sent. At some point, the email included sentences like: and and And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, I tried to casually mention that I actually do have four years of marketing experience and that I’m not completely useless professionally. When I finished, I stared at the email and thought: this is either the worst email ever written, or the best possible email I could have sent. There is no middle option here. I pressed send with full peace, because at that point the email had already left my body and become its own entity. I didn’t expect to get an answer, and certainly not that fast. And it was the best email I’ve ever received. Like they actually loved my answer?? What is happening? Chapter 2: the interview that felt illegal in corporate settings So after she replied to my email like a normal person who was genuinely excited (still shocking), we scheduled the interview. I was sitting in a café for it. What I did not  anticipate was how confusing this entire conversation would look to the people sitting around me. I could literally see it on their faces, because one second I was talking about my work experience and projects, and the next second I was talking about astrology, then about internet culture, then about storytelling, then about life, then back to marketing again. It probably sounded like I was on a very intense call with a friend but at the same time also in a job interview. It was chaotic, as expected! And I remember thinking during the call, not even after, but during it: wait… am I allowed to be like this in a job-related situation? Because this feels illegal in corporate environments.  And when the call ended, instead of overanalyzing every sentence like I usually do, I just sat there with my coffee like… okay, whatever that was, I want more of it! Chapter 3: Entering My Gaming Era When I started working more and more with the team afterwards, it didn’t feel like some mask dropped after the interview. The energy stayed the same!! That’s when I slowly realized that Goblins wasn’t this niche “gamers only” space I had imagined in my head. It was a space for people who feel at home online, who care about story, who care about connection, who care about expression. People who are a little bit chaotic, a little bit emotional, a little bit nerdy, a little bit too much, in the best way. And once I understood that, my whole relationship with gaming shifted too. It stopped feeling like this intimidating world I didn’t belong to, and started feeling like “oh… this is actually just another way people tell stories, build worlds, and connect with each other.” Which is exactly the kind of thing my brain loves. And that’s how we ended up here.  -With me being told to try Palia. -With me actually being excited about it.  -With me accidentally becoming curious about gaming.  -With me deciding to document the whole thing publicly.  If you want to follow me on the journey and see what I think of certain games, how I probably fail at playing them, and have fun, follow this s column!! Maybe we can even play together on Goblins, yeah??

As someone who has never really been a gamer ( like me! ), gaming can feel weirdly intimidating if you didn’t grow up doing it. It looks expensive, complicated, and maybe even feel a little cliquey. But you don’t need a $2,000 setup or a 40-hour learning curve to see if it’s your thing. We pulled together a list of free (or very low-cost) co-op games that are beginner-friendly, easy to pick up, and low-pressure. Think: no massive downloads, costly price tags, or intimidating gameplay. If you’ve been gaming-curious but hesitant to invest time or money, here are some perfect games to try! Our Picks: Free & Low-Cost Co-Op Games All of the games below are beginner-friendly, most of them free or very cheap, and none of them require you to be good at gaming. Looking for something more chill and less puzzle-heavy? We have a separate list of free co-op cozy games that might be more your vibe! Why We Picked Each of These Games We Were Here  made the list because it's completely free and forces you to actually communicate with each other, which is weirdly perfect for couples. You're in different locations describing what you see to help each other escape. Sounds simple until you're trying to explain a symbol and realize neither of you knows what that shape is called. It's problem-solving through communication and it's either going to be really fun or reveal some things about how you work together (probably both). In Sink: A Co-Op Escape Prologue  is free and literally handcuffs you together virtually. You have to coordinate every single movement while solving escape room puzzles. The metaphor is not subtle but it works. Plus it's short enough that if you hate it, you haven't lost much time, and if you love it, there's a full version available. With You  is here because sometimes you just want something sweet and simple without a lot of pressure. It's a short, free puzzle game about connection that won't stress you out. Very on-brand for Valentine's Day, very accessible for non-gamers. Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories  gives you quick escape room scenarios that you can knock out in one sitting. Perfect for couples who want to try co-op gaming but don't want to commit to a 10-hour game. You get the satisfaction of solving something together without the massive time investment. Dragon Saga  is the option if you want something with a bit more action but still beginner-friendly. It's free-to-play, you can adventure together and defeat enemies as a team. Classic co-op RPG vibes without the learning curve of more complex games. Tick Tock: A Tale for Two  is brilliant because it's specifically designed for two people, but with separate devices. Each player sees different clues and you have to share information to solve clock-themed puzzles. It creates this really intimate problem-solving dynamic where you're constantly talking to each other and comparing notes. Very clever design. Portal 2  costs money (though it goes on sale constantly) but the co-op mode is genuinely one of the best cooperative experiences ever made. You play as two robots solving physics-based puzzles together and it's funny and challenging in the best way. If you're willing to spend a bit, this is the one to get. The Part About Finding A Co-Op Partner If you're reading this thinking "okay but I don't have someone to play these with", well you're in luck! Goblins helps you make new friends (or even go on dates) in your favorite games while voice chatting. Come hang with us and see what we're about.

As we build Goblins out and think about the platforms we want (and almost more importantly, don't) want to emulate, figured I'd pay homage to some of my favorites: AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) For me, The era of AIM was peak internet for me. Some random thoughts here about it, in no particular order: I believe SmarterChild was one of the first AI/chatbots. About three years ago it inspired a marketing campaign I ideated for a friend’s AI voice assistant. I miss the days of writing AIM away messages like *~*iF i CoUlD rEaRrAnGe ThE aLpHaBeT, i’D pUt U & i ToGetHeR*~*. Passive aggressive away messages/AIM bios were absolutely the original subtweet– seeing a friend give shout outs to a list of initials and not seeing yours listed because y’all had an argument earlier that day in homeroom? Brutal. One of the things that still makes me wince is remembering when some girls in middle school created a screenname and catfished me into thinking I was talking to some kid in my grade. Obviously developed the biggest crush on him because we were chatting every night and then weeks (months?) in, I was brave enough to walk up to him at school and make a reference to our chats, only to find out he had no idea what I was talking about. Horrible personality-building moment. Neopets Someday, when I have more free time, I want to write a dissertation about how Neopets was (as far as I know) one of the earliest examples of cryptocurrency. I’m still salty that someone hacked my account when I was ~14, but they probably did me a favor because I never would have quit otherwise. I still basically look for any and all excuses to talk about Neopets (ie: this blog post). There was something so comforting about the world map and all the various things you could do. Faerie quests, the advent calendar, collecting your interest at the bank, zomg. That shit was so great. Doll Palace I'm not proud of the amount of time I spent on these virtual paper dolls. I recently played around with it again and… same thing. Whyyy do I still find these things so fun? Alleria? Valeria? I legitimately wish I could remember the name of this site but it was a text-based medieval roleplaying forum. I loved it so much that (also, skip to the next section if you don’t want to full-body cringe) when we had to do a presentation in high school on our favorite hobby, I wore a cloak and talked about text-based roleplaying on the internet. I think my classmates were probably so impressed by how publicly uncool I was that it sort of looped back around to “this girl gives zero fucks.” LiveJournal Back in ~2015 I was searching for “punny Halloween costume ideas” when up popped a photo of myself in high school wearing a handmade dust bunnies costume. The photo credit linked to my high school LiveJournal, which was apparently public, which made for an equally hilarious and mortifying realization. While I was never great at keeping a written journal (despite my many false starts), I semi-regularly updated my LiveJournal so it’s a painfully cringe documentation of who I was across three years of high school. Jump to twenty years later and I may or may not keep a private LiveJournal where I journal about building Goblins. Comparing the two recently reminded me that I need to implement Moods on my current one. LOOK AT HOW MANY EMOTION OPTIONS THEY HAVE!!! gURL.com As someone who didn’t have a big sister, gURL.com was where you got answers or learned about things that weren’t going to be covered in CosmoGirl or Seventeen . No matter how weird, gross, or stupid a question felt, it was almost always addressed somewhere in gURL’s editorial content or forums. That non-judgmental sharing of knowledge is something I hope to emulate at Goblins. Myspace Tom felt like such an unproblematic founder. He was everyone’s friend upon sign-up and didn’t do creepy, exploitative shit like so many current founders. I aspire to be like Tom. Myspace Top 8 was one of those evil-genius features that we absolutely used to be socially petty and passive-aggressive, right alongside AIM away messages (see above). Also, the amount of time I spent figuring out HTML to code a custom cursor that trailed little black stars around my profile? 100% worth it. Toontown This one feels like such a fever dream but gosh it was a fun game. You were a character that threw pies and cakes at robots. That’s about the extent of what I remember, except for how horrible it felt when a high-level player ran out of an elevator just as the doors closed, leaving you behind to inevitably get defeated. The birthday and wedding cakes were the most epic weapons in your arsenal. In my defense, I also tried to play EverQuest, but our family computer apparently didn’t have the processing power to run the CD I bought at Walmart because it looked like I was playing Minecraft. Old School-Ish Shout Outs Farmville I was obsessed with this stupid game. My college roommate and I used to set alarms for ungodly times so we could harvest crops in the middle of the night. When I was in San Francisco for 500 Global’s Demo Day, I stayed across the street from the Zynga office and to this day their logo still makes me feel warm and fuzzy. My GPA probably would’ve been several points higher if it weren’t for the 4am watermelon harvesting. Unsurprisingly, my love for dopamine games still has me in a chokehold because I’m currently on level 9,605 of Candy Crush. OG OkCupid I feel like this was the pinnacle of good online dating. From there being no character limits on filling out your profile to the ability to keyword search across profiles, it was the best way to find people you might connect well with. It wasn’t that the resulting dates were significantly better back then, but the process of finding folks and messaging them was significantly more enjoyable. Now building Goblins, I realize that the Venn diagram of people nostalgic for OG OkCupid and folks who identify as neurodivergent is basically a pancake stack. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the old school OkCupid elements are ones we want to weave into Goblins because that was an age before everyone was at the mercy of algorithms and swipe stacks. It’s also one of the cautionary tales of enshittification at the hands of Match.com.

A friend recently mentioned to me that bamboo takes 2–5 years to seed but then it grows up to 3 feet a day. “Oh, so Goblins is the bamboo of startups!” I joked. After googling, it turns out that fact is (mostly) inaccurate but the idea still resonates. Truthfully, part of me feels a little prickly at how Goblins, on the surface, looks a lot like it did a year ago. We’re still not mobile-friendly and hand-approving profiles still only gets done if I take time away from other work. But foundationally, we've accomplished so much these past few months. Earlier this year, despite me being a solo, non-technical founder, Goblins was one of 13 startups chosen out of 10,000+ applicants to participate in 500 Global’s accelerator program - putting us in a very tiny percentage of female-founded startups that’ve secured VC funding. It allowed us to pay off our company AmEx and get me working alongside other driven founders, something I didn't have while pet sitting around the country. So, I sold my house, packed up my life, and moved out to California to get Goblins a little more sunlight. One of my favorite things I've come across during my Silicon Valley adventures It was in the Bay Area that I found myself at an event with a well-respected VC who, on paper, was someone I was genuinely excited to introduce Goblins to. Despite my skepticism of external capital, this guy has the experience and background to be the perfect Goblins' ally. I sidled up to him and just as I opened my mouth to introduce myself, he accidentally dumped coffee all over the floor… and then just… walked away. Zero acknowledgment of anything having happened. As I cleaned up that guy’s coffee, I realized that no matter his reputation, I wouldn't want someone like that having even a fraction of a stake in shaping Goblins’ future. If you arrogantly walk away from a spill so publicly, how are you treating people when no one’s watching? Those are exactly the kinds of investors who force communities into enshittification for profit and I’d rather move slowly if it means being able to keep my promise to never commercialize loneliness. Why is holding that line important to me? Because the concept of Goblins was born in a period of my life where, months after my dad died, I found myself crying in a dentist chair because the hygienist’s gloved hand was resting on my cheek and the human touch was so unfamiliar. Goblins exists because I know what it feels like to desperately need connection in a world where, despite being more online than ever, it’s still incredibly hard to meet new friends (or romantic connections) as an introvert. In the last six months , veterans of Twitch, Discord, Thumbtack, and Etsy have joined our team and thanks to an incredible partner, we’ve finally unlocked enough resources to afford full-time platform development for a bit. Every dollar we’ve brought in has gone straight back into building the platform because I’m impatient for Goblins to offer a seamless onboarding experience so that we can start getting the word out. Stay tuned for specifics soooon! In the meantime, if you believe in what we’re building, you can support us by: 1. Purchasing Goblins University - a comprehensive 18-session course with practical, neurodivergent-friendly dating advice compiled by yours truly. Selling just 5,000 of them would allow us to bootstrap Goblins for 1.5 years. I'll also be hosting free weekly webinars on how to improve your dating app profile-- RSVP here! 2. Supporting us on Patreon , even $3/month truly makes a difference. 3. Making sure you're on the Goblins waitlist Thanks for following this journey, Goblin. You're the best. Chaos and cheer,

Nobody teaches us how to date- especially online. So most people just wing it, get frustrated, and end up sabotaging themselves. The truth is: you can’t fix what you don’t know. So we built Goblins University to say the things no one ever says out loud and give you the tools to actually fix them. Goblins University is blunt, funny, and sometimes a little uncomfy… think tough-love advice from a big sister. You’ll see why your profile might be quietly repelling people, why getting a reply (let alone a second date) feels impossible, and even how to talk dirty to someone without giving them the ick— plus tons of practical tips to make dating feel a whole lot easier. And if you’re wondering, “what the heck is a Goblin?” That’s the energy we've infused throughout Goblins U, because pretending to love hiking on your profile is cliché and  ineffective. Got questions? Email me at University@LikeGoblins.com .  If it’s big, it might even inspire a session! What's Included In Goblins University? 📸 Photo tips & tricks 💌 The Art of the Message 🪓Tough Love Basics 💞 Love Languages (and why they matter) 🍕 Ace the First Date 🪞Making a Good Profile 🤝 Meeting People IRL 🧩 Attachment Styles (and how they can make or break relationships) 🚩 Sneaky Red Flags You Might Be Waving 💔 Navigating Rejection 📕 A Rolodex of Dating Don’ts ✨ Compliments & Appreciation (To be loved is to be seen) 📡 Making Long Distance Relationships Work 👀 Meeting IRL for the First Time 💣 Even Tougher Love 💞 Clarity On Consent 🫶🏽 How To (Actually) Be A Good Ally 🔥 How To Talk Dirty Without Giving Someone The Ick

It's really intimidating as a non-technical founder to figure out how to how to build an MVP when you're just missing the ability to bring your vision to life. Over the last couple of years navigating Goblins’ platform development, I realized that building a product as a non-technical founder feels a lot like building a ship. That analogy has helped me understand tech architecture, how to choose a tech stack, how to avoid overbuilding an MVP, and when to scale your platform’s power or capacity. Ultimately building your ship feels daunting but the goal is to simply pick a route forward so that you’re not delaying your vision from ✨existing✨. Your first ship will never be perfect and that’s okay. You just need to build something that’ll allow you to happily (and safely) leave shore and start your journey. How do you do that? Good question! Here are my recommendations if you’re trying to build a minimum viable product without a technical background: Don’t Sweat The Early Direction I think of the tech stack as the engine of this boat we’re building. It determines what powers your ship and how maintainable it is as you grow. In our case, the engineer who generously built our alpha in her free time chose Ruby on Rails. Why? Because Rails makes it doable for one person to build and maintain the platform without us needing access to significant capital first. If we’d had more resources, she would’ve chosen JavaScript — but she made a thoughtful call based on the resources we actually had, not the idealized version of where we wanted to be in three months. Two questions ultimately matter here: 1. Does this stack make sense long-term? Some stacks let you build fast early, but crumble when you try to scale. Imagine powering a ship by wind- it’s great when you have five passengers but becomes a nightmare when you suddenly need to move a hundred. 2. Can you grow your crew with this choice? We’ve had VCs really focus on our tech stack and worry about the scalability of hiring. But what I’ve realized is that great engineers aren’t scared of a new language. Coding is a lot like painting– once you know the foundational components of technique and color theory, switching from acrylic to oil paint is just learning the quirks of a new medium. Or, as one of our community members put it better: “It’s like going from ice hockey to rollerblading”. Thanks for that Goblin Howuf! When you find a great engineer and they’re really psyched about what you’re building, the tech stack is the last thing they’re concerned about. Ultimately they’ll be more interested in the culture of the team, your vision for the company, and if they’re excited to climb aboard. A good engineering fit will be psyched about the vision and ready to do what they have to to get up to speed. Determining Your Tech Stack When you’re choosing your tech stack as a non-technical founder, remember: you’re picking the engine  of your ship. Every engineer you speak to will have an opinion about what type of tech stack your platform should be built on and compelling reasons behind why. You can have dozens of those conversations and still get no closer to a perfect consensus so my recommendation would be: Write down what your platform needs right now features-wise, and get specific. Ie: people will need to create accounts, create profiles, search across existing platforms, we need an admin functionality to review flagged profiles, etc. Do the same but now for the features and functionality you envision being built into the platform 2–3 years from now. Speak to five technical people you trust and ask what they’d choose as their tech stack/architecture. Pick the recommendation that comes up the most and even then, it might not be perfect re: finding 3/3 on the front-end backend pairing. That’s ok! Research what other platforms in your market are using. Sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel (or helm, to stay on-brand with the ship theme) I know, I know– the decision feels enormous, but early on your real job is again, choosing a direction, not choosing “the perfect one.” Again, progress > perfection because better to have a slightly wonky ship that actually floats than an idea that exists in perpetuity but never gets built. Avoiding Technical Debt While you’re building, don’t forget about technical debt– and making sure you’re doing what you can to minimize it. While you may be building an MVP, it’s also important to build in tests, maintenance, monitoring, and deprecation schedules to ensure you’re creating something scalable and sustainable. I admittedly didn’t know deprecation was a thing until recently- unlike an untouched Google document, a technical platform that doesn’t undergo regular maintenance can fall into disrepair and stop working. Needless to say, we’re making sure to now regularly scrape off barnacles, check for leaks, and whatever other maintenance we’d metaphorically do to ensure the health of our ship. Don’t Build a Cruise Ship Before the Gangway If the tech stack is your ship’s engine, architecture is the blueprint for the ship’s core construction, the hull, rooms, storage, and the way that everything connects to itself. For the earliest version of your platform, you want to make sure that you are building for what you need now, not what you’re going to need. I learned the hard way that you can absolutely overbuild your MVP. We once worked with an engineer who architected Goblins like a full-scale cruise ship, something that could theoretically support millions of people. Except you also couldn’t even create an account with a regular email and password Even without anyone using the platform, it was going to be more expensive to maintain than our original alpha. And with the basic functionality not even working, it was giving… abandoned cruise ship vibes . Good architecture plans for where you are now and where you’re realistically going next, not the idealized situation five years into the future. Just remember to keep track of your tech debt. Metrics I wish I’d known earlier about the necessity to build in metric-tracking because those aren’t magically/automatically available. Seeing how many sign-ups you get is awesome but it’s even more important to be able to track how many of those folks come back, engage with the platform, and generally get an idea of if there’s sustained interest in what you’re building. You need to know: When people return to the platform Why they continue engaging with the platform What parts of the platform aren’t capturing user engagement. When people drop off the platform. These metrics will help you understand your user behavior and make adjustments that’ll enhance their experience. Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves This is the part that can make or break a young product. Founders love the future. Engineers love details. Combine those two and suddenly your MVP has a twelve-page amenities list but no working login. So the most important thing to remember is that your ship (ahem, early product) does not need a waterslide, helicopter pad, or even a chef’s kitchen. It does need: A watertight hull A reliable engine A working steering wheel An easy way for passengers to get on the ship and reasons to stay aboard Everything else is a “later” problem. Remember, when building a ship, it would be crazy to debate about the seating upholstery colour without having a structure that floats. But when you’re building a platform, it can be tempting to hem and haw over the perfect design of buttons while the sign-up flow isn’t yet functional. A simple question to ask yourself constantly: “Will this help us set sail sooner or are we focusing on the aesthetics of a hypothetical ship right now?” When to Expand Capacity vs. Increase Power Building and growing the platform is a whole lot more complicated than just making sure you have a functional platform that you add features to. Your development should always be tied to the real-time needs of your platform. Technical or not, a good founder has to listen for the ship’s creaks. Is it sagging under weight? Is it slowing down under the added weight of more passengers? Are people confused about where to go upon boarding the ship? Each issue tells you exactly what to fix next. You need more capacity when: Users are onboarding faster than expected Your database is groaning at peak times Your retention metrics are strong and there's organic growth You need more power when: Everything “works” but feels slow Workflows drag even when traffic is light Your core systems can’t scale with demand or support the building of new features You need better UI/UX when: People get lost in the product Onboarding is confusing The path to the user's “aha” moment as to your value isn’t obvious Aye, Aye Captain! So, fellow non-technical founder, take the above recommendations and confidently make some decisions that'll get you closer to having a functional MVP. Will it be perfect? No, but progress is every perfection and as a few smart engineers have told me, "there's a solution for every problem" so, when you inevitably encounter those later down the line, tackle 'em-- but don't risk not building because you're obsessing over perfection.

Being a non-technical founder with a ✨vision✨ is painfully cliché but armed with a dream, a liberal arts degree, and nothing left to lose , I fully committed to the adventure. As many of y’all know, I came up with the concept of Goblins before vibe-coding was a thing, so stubbornly– and fueled by that Panera jet-fuel– I tried building Goblins using no-code platforms (also bullshit, those are low-code, at best). I was able to create an MVP on FlutterFlow which worked flawlessly when someone used the correct browser and the moon was in certain phases. Fortunately right around the time I realized my DIY MVP wasn’t going to cut it, I cold-messaged a few engineers I found on Twitter (“engineer” + “gamer” with female-presenting bios). Against the odds (and her normally-insane spam filter), one graciously replied and loved the idea enough to build our alpha in her free-time over the next six months. It was exciting to finally unveil a functioning platform to our Kickstarter backers and OGs (original Goblins, obv). They could sign up! Create profiles! Send each other invites! And they did, and it was glorious. With a functional (albeit a little awkward-looking) platform, we started getting the word out and new Goblins began signing up. So many in fact, that our systems would break. A lot. The earliest example of this being: while I initially hand-approved profiles to catch 🍆 photos, I quickly realized it was actually more for quality-control (About Me: “I’m a gamer, idk what else to say here”) or the platform was going to be inundated with low-effort profiles. And if there was anything the world didn’t need, it was another shitty social platform. So we sorted the pending profiles queue by newest to oldest so that I could email folks 1:1 feedback about how they could make their profile more compelling and be approved for the platform. This made sense when we had a handful of sign-ups a day, I’d do them while watching 90 Day Fiancé before I went to bed. Then an influencer organically posted about us and suddenly we had hundreds of new Goblins in a few hours, completely burying my ability to get through the queue. And we had to wait until our developer had time to iterate on optimizing the platform to deal with the latest influx. Our platform development was reactive (grow > break > fix > repeat) and it wasn’t a good experience for the Goblins or myself and the team. After a few too many of these cycles, I finally took a beat to concentrate on getting our ducks in a row on the technical side—first, starting with talent. Who did I want sitting at the helm of Product? They needed to be more technically savvy than myself, capable of translating my vision of Goblins into a roadmap that wouldn’t collapse every time TikTok decided to be nice to us. So, that’s what I’ve been heads-down on for the last few months (well, that and the 500 Global accelerator). Finding a dream team that’s willing to work for equity isn’t an easy task, but I’ve been slowly assembling our rare Pokémon and gosh, we’ve been lucky. I couldn’t ask for a better collection of humans to be in these trenches with. Handing the reins over has also forced me to confront some early-stage founder habits I needed to retire– — like being the human bandaid, or trying to brute-force my way through every bottleneck. Letting go of that and shifting into “build something survivable, not just scrappy” has been its own growth arc. I’m excited to let this absolute power-squad run forward on finally getting Goblins to where it needs to be. Their first order of business: building for stability before delight, standardizing components so we’re not duct-taping features together, and making sure we never again sort a queue in a way that accidentally punishes our most enthusiastic Goblins (shit, I’m sorry y’all!). Because we’re committed to transparency on this Goblins’ journey, this is going to be the first of many “build-in-public-but-without-the-bullshit” posts from me and our product squad. We’re going to actually talk through the choices we’ve made- the good, the chaotic, and the messy. If the Goblins community is going to grow with us, y’all deserve to see what’s happening behind the curtain. So, stay tuned for posts about architecture choices, product tradeoffs, and yes, some fun marketing/PR campaigns that will allow me to dip my toe into vibe-coding without touching the integrity of our platform. Oh, and also a story about how I once accidentally hired an engineer to build us a cruise ship.  In the meantime, here’s a chart I pulled together of (some of) my crying while building Goblins:

Hi, I’m Lise, perpetual third wheel, endlessly optimistic romantic, and now, the founder of Goblins! I’ve always been creative in searching for my person. From attempting to outsmart algorithms to freeing people from Rose Jails, traditional methods had mixed results. So— I let the NY Post set me up on a blind date ; used pick-up limes ; and volunteered to paint a nursing home… sadly I was the only one who didn’t have a mandatory community service sheet to be signed at the end. Most recently, I’ve even had friends manage my dating apps. If you know, you know, the dating apps are like, really, really bad... and it sucks to be at the mercy of them. Despite Best Efforts I know what it feels like to carry loneliness in your bones. Simple Plan's lyric “I’ve got a lot of friends, but I don’t hear from them” hits differently as an adult. It’s not anyone’s fault—life gets busy, people have their own commitments, and whether you’re single or partnered, loneliness just has a way of sneaking in. In June of 2023, I had an idea There HAD to be a better way to use the internet to meet people. So, I decided I’d create a profile about myself… and the kind of people I was looking to meet. Think: a gamer friend application/ dating doc . If I caught anyone’s eye, they could use Calendly to schedule a time to meet up in World of Warcraft and we’d play while voice chatting. I’d initially planned to film a TikTok series but I soon realized this had more potential than just a social experiment for my dating life. The premise—a refreshingly different, lower-pressure way to intentionally find connection and belonging—didn’t just apply to romantic relationships. This had the potential to help people of all kinds forge meaningful connections, from finding new gaming pals to building lifelong friendships. This realization marked a shift What started as Date Like Goblins , a dating tool for gamers, has since evolved into what we're colloquially calling Goblins , a space designed to help all gamers connect—romantically or otherwise. It’s been a natural expansion that reflects our belief that intentional connections, no matter the type, are the foundation of a fulfilling life. Whether you’re LGBTQIA+, neurospicy, introverted, and/or just not into the usual ‘swipe-right’ scene, Goblins is a space where you’re not simply accepted, but celebrated for who you are. We thrive on the diversity of our members and the unique ways we all seek to connect. Our OGs (original Goblins) have been instrumental in helping us develop our early platform, and we look forward to continuing to build with and for our community. If you’re excited about what we’re creating, pop into the beta and/or subscribe to this blog. It’d be an honor to have you join the Goblin movement! Chaos and Cheetos,

As the founder of a social platform that emphasizes authentic connection, it feels important to formally introduce myself and give a glimpse into who I am. So hello, hi, howdy! I’m Lise (pronounced like " new lease on life" ) and... I was a horse girl growing up, and frogs were my favorite animal It took two tries to get my driver's license I set a morning alarm for a little earlier than I have to actually wake up – it makes me so happy seeing I have more time to sleep. <- I realize it’s absolutely unhinged but I stand behind it Nostalgic tech is one of my favorite things to bond with people over: AIM, Encarta CDs, Day of the Tentacle, Chex Quest, Furbys (Furbies?), Tamagotchis, etc. I used to Venmo request friends $.75 for Art. When they accepted (often months later), they be sent a photo of themselves riding a possum Little me, playing Math Blaster When I was 15, I took a Seventeen Magazine quiz in the back of my dad’s car – it was titled something like What Should You Be When You Grow Up. Based on my results, the recommendations were zookeeper, event planner, or PR exec. And the rest, as they say, was history: As a junior publicist I was able to use $12k to prank an entire city, resulting in the client getting 638M media impressions in 3 days. Any guesses as to which one that was? Later in my PR agency days, I was Hinge’s first publicist and eventually snagged them coverage in The New York Times , TIME , and Glamour . I ideated partnering with Mashable for Bill Nye Explains Using Emoji for a GE project. The video got half a billion media impressions and was later referenced as an answer in the New York Times ’ crossword. My absolute favorite job was working as head of PR for Shapeways. I fell in love with the intersection of tech and all-things community after delving deeply into the Warhammer space. A decade into my career, my dad passed away and I found myself grappling with the existential crisis of life, love, and purpose. Practically comatose with grief, I quit my job to figure out what should come next– personally and professionally. It took a while, but after ideating Goblins , I started waking up feeling inspired again. At the intersection of my personal and professional strengths and passions, Goblins also felts like something that could make the world a little better for a lot of people. And so, I've been pet sitting around the country while (mostly) bootstrapping bringing the platform to life. My team's and my goal? Be able to pay ourselves to work on Goblins full-time while building for and with our community. It's no secret I have feelings about the Match Group and other dating apps out there, so we're also carefully architecting the platform to avoid enshittification – more on that later, I promise. Always feel free to send us a note at TellUsSecrets@LikeGoblins to say hello, ask questions, or share some quality memes with the team and me! Me, riding a giant possum. Popular photo on dating apps (=gets a lot of questions).

OkCupid appears to be self-destructing and as someone who LOVED the personality-first, questions-heavy profiles, this makes me super, super sad. My personality is WAY better than my photos so image-first dating apps with bite-sized profiles (if any) really aren't my jam. It took a bit, but I realized using the "perfect" pictures or the "coolest" bio didn't work. What does? Embracing your quirky, funny, and unapologetic self... even if that means looking a little uh... unHinged. 🥁💥 Screenshots from my Hinge profile, wow such chaos. Whether short (Bumble, Tinder, etc.) or long ( Goblins , Firefly , OkCupid) – your profile is your bat signal. Help your people to find you… and actively weed out anyone that thinks you're weird/too much/etc. You'd find them too normal/dull for you anyway! :D The best part? You make it so much easier for people to message you because they have something to respond/react/ask you about! Here are my tips for authoring an awesome profile that does you justice (no matter how introverted or self-conscious you are): Be authentic, looking cool be damned Really. Looking cool is so high school. And high school sucked, so no more of that. While it's tempting to describe what you should have on your profile, you want to find the people who will embrace the real you, not the ideal version of yourself. So lean into it! What’s your perfect day off look like? I might want to put: Go for a hike and then hit up a brewery! Instead, I’m writing: Set my alarm for a reasonable time, probably turn it off and sleep in a little bit longer. Yelp an awesome diner or locate a spot for the best [cinnamon roll, baked bread, etc.] and take a road-trip to it. Use Atlas Obscura to find any worthwhile detours and/or look for some thrift shops and see who can spot the weirdest thing in there. End the day with a movie night on the couch or assemble some friends for board games. Progress over perfection Your profile doesn’t have to be Shakespearean. Start with whatever you feel represents who you are, even if it's just a list of facts about yourself – you can edit if/when inspiration strikes later. We have a ton of quirky, fun prompts you can answer on Goblins but here are some ideas for any “Meet Our Hero/About Me” section. When I have free time I like to… Something I’m really good at / proud of is… I spend a lot of time thinking about… A guilty pleasure of mine is… One thing that never fails to put me in a good mood is… You can always count on me to… [Talk about your pets!] I work as a [insert what you do here] but I feel like in a multiverse, I’m a [enter whatever you think you might be doing here!] One thing I’m oddly passionate about is… Something I wish more people knew about me is… I like to collect… The best advice I’ve ever received is… A habit or ritual I can’t go without is… Don't overthink it As the queen of overthinking, know this is easier said than done – but remember, your profile doesn't need to impress or convince anyone you’re interesting. Glimpses into who you are and what makes you unique will resonate with the right people, so just start by writing something. P.S. If you think we'd get along, send me a game invite on Goblins . My username is Lise 💚