IRL Intros started as the lived experience of a father and son at two very different crossroads: one entering adulthood, the other learning what it means when old friends drift apart. Both were searching for something simple but elusive: new, genuine connections.
After high school, Sebastian watched his friends scatter to different corners of the world. For an introvert, starting fresh beyond a digital existence wasn’t easy. Meanwhile, Mo found that adult friendships often stalled with busy lives, families, careers. Neither stage of life made it simple to meet new people without it feeling awkward or forced. What we did have was each other, but the question remained: how do you find peers who want the same things you do?
Some say “no new friends,” but that mindset leaves a lot of people on the sidelines. We realized that connection doesn’t have to be so complicated if the environment feels natural. Golfers already know this—being paired with strangers for five hours is normal, even enjoyable. Why can’t other activities work the same way?
New studies from BYU and the Surgeon General show that chronic loneliness can be as unhealthy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, raising the risk of early death by more than 25%. IRL Intros is built to intervene by removing the stigma of asking, “Want to go together?” It creates space for people who would rather share experiences than go solo, without the awkwardness of forcing conversation at a mixer or the pressure of swiping apps.
There was an era when fathers and sons bonded by building businesses side by side, and the names still carried “& Sons” on the storefront. That spirit of working together on something meaningful is rare today, but it’s part of what drives us. IRL Intros isn’t just a project. It’s our way of shaping how the next generation experiences friendship, belonging, and community.