Find Your Wayvelength
A designer, a dater, and a startup team walk into a room...
Something I’ve been playing with this week:
What if, when you meet someone new, you could skip the guesswork and start with something real you already share?
That’s the idea behind Wayvelength—a light-touch tool that helps two people discover a single trait they have in common, along with a simple question to spark conversation (if they want it to).
No long reports. No comparisons. Just one point of connection—and a nudge toward something more human.
Here are three tiny stories about how it works.
1. Networking with a nudge
Maya and Joel meet at a panel on creative leadership—both designers, both a little tired of being asked what font they’d be “if they were a typeface.” During the break, they hover near the snack table, where a Wayvelength card catches Maya’s eye.
“Wanna try it?” she asks. They scan the code, answer a handful of questions, and moments later their phones glow.
You both have Medium Curiosity.
Icebreaker: If someone described you as a realistic dreamer, would that feel like a compliment or a criticism?
Joel laughs. “Honestly? Depends on the client.”
Maya smiles. “And the deadline.”
They end up skipping the next panel and talking instead—about work, side projects, and the fine art of dreaming without drifting.
2. Kickstarting speed dating
When Sam sits down across from Elise at the speed dating event, he feels the usual flicker of small-talk panic. But between them on the table is a card with a QR code and the words Find your shared Wayvelength.
They give it a shot.
You both have Low Extraversion.
Icebreaker: If you woke up tomorrow ten times more outgoing than usual, how would that feel?
Sam reads it aloud.
“Terrifying,” Elise says immediately.
“Exhausting,” Sam replies.
They grin. The rest of the date flows easily—not because they talk about the icebreaker, but because they don’t have to pretend they’re the kind of people who love small talk. Which, as it turns out, neither of them is.
3. Co-worker compatibility
The six-person team at a small startup is skeptical when the retreat facilitator hands them each a Wayvelength card and says, “You’ll be pairing up to discover something you have in common. Nothing heavy. Just one shared trait—and a question to go with it.”
First up, Alex and Priya.
You both have High Responsibility.
Icebreaker: If everyone were as responsible as you are, would the world be a better place?
They look at each other. “Yes,” they say in unison—then laugh. It’s the first time either of them has admitted how much they like being the one who remembers deadlines.
Next, Ben and Layla pair up.
You both have Low Sensitivity.
Icebreaker: If your emotional patterns were described as weather, what kind of forecast would they show?
“Clear skies,” says Ben.
Layla shrugs. “Maybe a light breeze.”
Another laugh.
By the end of the session, people aren’t just chatting—they’re seeing each other differently. Not because the app tells them who they are, but because it gives them something to explore—together.
What each of these moments has in common is how little it takes to shift the tone of a conversation. Wayvelength doesn’t tell you who you are. It just hands you one small thing you both are—and leaves the rest up to you.
Whether you’re breaking the ice, building a team, or meeting someone who might matter, sometimes a single shared trait is all you need to get started.
Please play with a very early Wayvelength prototype here.
I like this - a simple way to see each other in a different light and discover something in common!
I love this. And I think the question is a really important part of it.