📢 Android is HERE!

Mapping Our North Star

March 25, 2025

ExploreHere has always been companion for adventure, discovery, and connection. Whether you're on a road trip, exploring your hometown, or wandering somewhere new, we want to give you that feeling of “Wow, I had no idea this was here!”

After building our Android app, Jase and I wanted to re-focus our efforts and create a vision for ExploreHere to grow into. With that in mind, we created our North Star, which will guide our decision-making as we move towards it. It’s simple:

Inspire adventure, interaction, and fun.

We believe that life’s best moments happen when we’re curious and open to the unexpected. So, our next focus with ExploreHere will be nudging you toward hidden gems, deeper stories, and meaningful connections with the world around you.

What We’re Focused On

We want ExploreHere to feel like a friend with great taste who knows the area really well. Our hope is for it to feel like you’re along for the ride, living in an episode of The Magic School Bus. Within our North Star vision, we indentified three areas to focus on in the coming months:

1. Curating the most interesting places, while highlighting your specific interests

2. Bringing more life and interactivity to all parts of the app

3. Promoting fun, exploration, and getting your hands dirty out in the world

What We Will Do

We’re committed to building ExploreHere in a way that reflects our values. Here’s where we’re putting our energy:

Empower Diverse Voices

We want ExploreHere to showcase stories from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. We’re working to bring in local storytellers, historians, and adventurers to share their unique insights, making every journey richer and more meaningful.

Keep Information Free

Accessing the underlying data in ExploreHere will remain free. This stems from our core belief that information about the world should be accessible to everyone. Our pro version builds on the information, providing tools for collecting, tracking, and other ways to enhance the experience — and helps support our continued development of the platform.

Find and Curate Hidden Gems

Our mission is to uncover the interesting, the unusual, and the overlooked. We’ll continue seeking out places that make you pause, wonder, and feel connected to the world around you.

Embrace Our Community

ExploreHere isn’t just about what we find interesting, it’s about all the things you love. We’re building tools that make it easy for you to share your favorite places, flag content that doesn’t quite fit, and help shape the future of ExploreHere. Your voice matters, and together, we can make every journey more rewarding.

What We Won’t Do

We believe that what we exclude from ExploreHere matters just as much as what we include. There are a few things we’ve firmly decided not to do:

No Endless Scrolling

We’re not here to keep you staring at your screen. ExploreHere encourages you to look up, get out, and experience the world—not lose yourself in an infinite feed. Our goal is to spark curiosity in the world surrounding you.

No Ads or Micro-transactions

We won’t nickle-and-dime our users or distract from your adventures. ExploreHere will not introduce ads or micro-transactions. Our focus is on enhancing your experience, not cluttering it with promotions.

We Won’t Sell Your Data

Your information is yours, and we’re committed to keeping it that way. We only use the data we need—like your location—to make ExploreHere work better for you. But that data stays with us. We’ll never sell or distribute it. You’re using the product, not becoming the product.

How We Define Success

At the end of the day, we’re just two people who love adventure and want to help others experience that same sense of wonder.

Success for us isn’t about downloads or dollars. It’s about knowing that ExploreHere has:

  • Helped someone discover a hidden gem on their road trip.
  • Sparked curiosity in a place they’ve passed a hundred times.
  • Given them the confidence to wander, explore, and connect with our world.

If ExploreHere can make the world feel a little more magical and exciting, that’s success in our book.

🚀 Join Us On This Journey

ExploreHere is an invitation to see the world with fresh eyes, embrace spontaneity, and let curiosity lead the way. We’re excited to have you along for the ride.

Ready to start your next adventure? Let’s explore!

Your Adventure Guide
discover historical markers, interpretive signs, and local stories, wherever you go!
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