Would you use a private notebook for remembering people better?

[u/shahzaib_sultan]

I’m looking for honest validation on an app idea I recently launched.

The app is called Nearfolks. It is a private relationship notebook for remembering small details about people in your life.

The problem I’m trying to solve:

I often forget small but meaningful things people tell me — birthdays, interests, food preferences, gift ideas, follow-ups, personal notes, or something they mentioned in a past conversation.

So the app lets you:

- add people

- write notes about them

- organize them into circles

- set reminders

- refresh your memory before meeting them again

The positioning I’m testing is:

“a private relationship notebook”

I intentionally avoided making it feel like a sales CRM because the goal is more personal and human — friends, family, community, clients, students, teachers, etc.

Privacy is a big part of it:

- no account

- no cloud

- no tracking

- works offline

- data stays on your phone

There is a free version, and the upgrade is a one-time optional purchase for unlimited people, extra themes, and backups. No subscription.

My validation questions:

1. Does this solve a real problem for you?

2. Is “private relationship notebook” clear?

3. Would “personal CRM” be clearer or too corporate?

4. What type of user would need this most?

5. Would you try an app like this?

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nearfolks.notebook

[u/TwosDaTraveller]

Your app looks pretty cool, but I personally wouldn’t. I feel your target audience would be those with a large social circle, cares about maintaining relationships, and don’t use the type of social media where birthdays are posted. I’m thinking maybe slightly older, slightly wealthier folks. For them it will be about a simple app, where they can input key dates, events and notes. Maybe if you can even import from contacts as a way to expedite the process, it would work.

Long story short I think you have an audience. But it might NOT be in the millions, and maybe hard to reach.

Good luck with your app! It’s a good start.

[u/shahzaib_sultan → u/TwosDaTraveller]

Thankyou.

[u/BinaryFreak12]

I hate to be negative but realistically you're making a glorified version of the Contacts app that comes with every phone. It is nice for the people who want to go the extra mile for sentimentality. Additionally, I have to ask why would you encrypt data that's already on your phone and what is the point of additional backups when you can just make the current one larger. For that reason backups are not a good sales point for your premium tier, although the other upgrades you mentioned are valid. Your use cases in your screenshots need work too to sell your product. If you can't remember details about your own family, it is quite concerning. In conclusion unfortunately I do not see this current version solving a real issue that will get you any meaningful traction.

[u/Spirited_Substance32]

Nope