I grew up in Ethiopia, and I started Letsqube almost by accident. But like many good things, it began with curiosity.

Back home, there are so many cultural practices built on community and trust. One of them is called Equb, a rotating savings system among friends. For my graduate thesis, I tried to bring this idea into a new context. Ethiopians understood it right away, but outside of that circle, it didn’t quite click.

That experiment taught me something important. Equb works not only because of the money, but because of the strong social fabric and deep trust already woven into Ethiopian communities.

And that insight stayed with me. What if we could design technology that helps build that kind of social fabric anywhere?

Around that time, I also came across the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the world’s longest study on happiness. Its conclusion was simple: our relationships keep us happier and healthier than anything else. That discovery gave me even more conviction to pursue Letsqube.

So I tried another experiment. Small groups of friends saving money toward a future gathering. It worked, and more importantly, people showed up.

From the beginning, I always imagined Letsqube as an app. I admired how the founders of Airbnb started as students with an idea and thought, “Why not me?” I was encouraged by my mentors, who told me that designers often share the same instincts as entrepreneurs. And maybe being more of an introvert, someone who naturally thrives in small groups, also shaped how I approached this project.

The first version of Letsqube was simple: an app for close friends to coordinate small gatherings, plan tasks, and share the load.

To my surprise, it was selected as one of three RISD projects to be exhibited at the Global Grad Show in Dubai. That moment gave me confidence that I was on to something.

But life is rarely a straight path. After graduating, I faced the realities of being an international student in the U.S. I had only 90 days to secure my future, so I focused on work, stability, and building a life.

Still, I never stopped working on Letsqube. I kept applying to incubators, pitching, and refining. I got married. I started a family. And Letsqube kept evolving: group payments app, potluck planner, alumni organizer, food-sharing experience. It had many lives, and I had plenty of setbacks. But I didn’t give up.

With the support of my incredible wife, I eventually decided to leave my job and dedicate myself to my own projects, with Letsqube at the heart of it all.

Now, almost ten years later, here we are.

Letsqube today is still about the same core idea: helping people organize and enjoy small gatherings with their closest friends. But for me, this is just the beginning.

My hope is to keep building this with you, our users, and shape it together with your feedback.

Because our mission isn’t small. It’s to use technology to strengthen the social fabric that holds us together, and to enrich the human experience so that we can all find two things we’re searching for:

• Self-fulfillment

• Happiness

At the end of the day, it all comes back to this:

Spend more time with your loved ones.

Lovingly and respectfully,
Bini (Biniam A Kebede)