"Ultimately, I spent more time home alone doing nothing than ever before," Epstein, CEO of the still-in-beta social networking app Kndrd, told Business Insider. "I spoke to a thousand strangers" — many who also felt a lack of community, companionship, or friendship, she added. But while investors may want to see viral, overnight growth for an app like Kndrd, Epstein hesitates at that strategy. "And that means me reading applications and vetting the community members and making sure that we have people who are the strongest, most high fidelity people." In the future, Kndrd also plans to incorporate AI into its user experience — something on nearly every investor's mind right now.

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Persons: Isabella Epstein, Epstein, Kndrd, Tina Mai —, —, Mai aren't, Kndrd cofounders Tina Mai, Devin Kasparian Bootstrapping Organizations: Business, Stanford University, Stanford Locations: New York City, NYC, Mai, Epstein's NYC