A new social network?

Oussama Ammar -

The Spark

I recently conducted a social experiment that was, frankly, a little weird—but potentially the beginning of something much bigger.
It started one quiet evening in the bath, when I let myself follow a strange hunch.

The Idea

I wondered:
What if you could build a social network, but not the way everyone does it—no endless feeds, no mass invites, no “growth hacking”?
What if you went the other way—hyper-curated, ultra-selective, totally secret?

So, I created a WhatsApp group.
Name: “the smartest guy I know”
Invite list: just one person—a friend in the US who never fails to impress me intellectually.

I wrote a simple intro for the group:

Welcome.
You’ve been invited because you are, quite simply, the smartest person I know.
This group is secret. The first rule: you do not talk about it—ever, with anyone, outside this chat.
You now have one privilege: you may invite a single person. Choose carefully. They must be, in your eyes, the smartest person you know. After your invitation, you lose this privilege. The same rule will apply to them.
When we reach 30 members, invitations stop. At that moment, we will all introduce ourselves and embark on something epic—details to come.
Remember: secrecy, selectivity, and trust. That’s all that matters for now.
Welcome to the beginning.

The Results

Here’s what happened:
Within days, the group grew to 30 members.
I started posting articles and kickstarting conversations.
People commented, debated, and shared perspectives. Some organized Zoom calls. Others even kicked off new business projects together.

For a while, it was electric. Then, activity slowed. A few people left.
Classic social network cycle.

Going Further: Vertical Experiments

Not content with just one group, I got creative.
I tested new “verticals”:

  • “The coolest girl I know”
  • “The wildest guy that I know”
  • “The kindest heart in my entourage”

Some groups hit 20 people. Some stayed active. Some fizzled out fast.
The lesson? Group energy is unpredictable—and culture matters.

The Edge Cases

  • Philosopher Mode:
    I tried the same experiment with a French friend. The response?
    “How do you define intelligence?”
    Three weeks later, still just the two of us.
  • Chaos Mode:
    A Brazilian friend? He invited 100 people overnight.
    The result? Spam, chaos, and zero value.

Turns out, how you define the “rules” and who you invite changes everything.

The Insight: Network Design Is Broken (But Fixable)

There’s something fascinating here:
In a world drowning in algorithmic noise and infinite feeds, we crave something different—networks built on trust, selection, and real connection.
Maybe it’s time to revisit the old “friend of a friend” concept, but with intentional design and a bit of secrecy.

The Big Question

So, what should I do with this idea?
I’m not cut out to build the next viral social product.
But if someone wants to steal this concept and build it, do it. Please.

I’d love to see a social network that values curation, privacy, and trust over noise and virality.

Call to Action

Have thoughts?
Would you join a group like this?
Or better yet—would you build one?
DM me, comment below, or just steal the idea and let me know how it goes.

Let’s build something smarter.