There are already apps that help couples explore what they are into. Spicer, Kindu, and a few others have been around for years, and they have helped a lot of people have conversations they might not have had otherwise. That is genuinely good.
We looked at what was out there before building Lykewise, and there was a lot to like. The core idea -- answer questions independently, only reveal mutual matches -- is solid. It works because it removes the vulnerability of going first. Nobody has to say "I am into this" without knowing if the other person is too.
But we kept running into the same friction points.
Most of the existing tools are designed for couples. Two people, one relationship, one app installed on both phones. That works well for a lot of people, but it does not work for everyone. If you are in a polycule, exploring a new connection at a munch, or just curious about a friend, the couples-only model gets in the way. We wanted something that works for any relationship shape -- two people, a group, a loose network of connections that do not fit into a single label.
Privacy models varied a lot. Some apps link accounts by username or email, which means you are discoverable in ways you might not want. We went with identity codes -- random strings you share however you choose. There is no search, no discovery, no way for someone to find you unless you give them your code.
The consent model in most matching apps is binary: both said yes, or both did not. That is a good start, but we wanted more layers. Blind answering so neither person can watch the other. A summary phase where you see overlap counts before deciding to reveal specifics. Test questions to catch inattentive answering. Similarity thresholds so the set creator can control how much overlap is needed. And a mutual approval gate where either person can walk away before anything is shared. These are not features we added because they sounded impressive -- they exist because the content people explore on Lykewise can be deeply personal, and the stakes of getting privacy wrong are real.
We also noticed that most apps stop at the match. You find out you both said yes to something, and then you are on your own. We wanted to support what comes next -- the actual conversation. Result annotations let you mark matches as discussed, planned, or done. You can add notes. You can copy everything as a negotiation checklist. These are small features, but they bridge the gap between "we have mutual interest" and "we have a plan."
Content scope was another thing. The existing apps tend to be either heavily sexual or broadly lifestyle-oriented. We wanted both, under the same roof. Lykewise has lists for rope, impact, D/s, explicit interests, and group play. It also has lists for romance, connection, communication, nesting, and things like road trip compatibility. The same tool works whether you are negotiating a scene or figuring out if your new metamour wants to be friends.
And we wanted it to be free. Not freemium, not free-with-ads, not free-for-the-first-ten-questions. Just free. Lykewise is a one-person indie project. There are no investors expecting growth metrics, no premium tier to upsell, and no reason to paywall the features that make it useful.
None of this is meant as criticism of what already exists. Different tools serve different people in different ways, and we are glad they are out there. We just had a specific set of needs -- flexible relationship structures, strong privacy, layered consent, and tools for the conversation after the match -- and we ended up building something to meet them.