What we've been calling the "Merchant Portal" got a new name this week: SoGoBusiness. And the rename reflects something real — this isn't a feature bolted onto the side of the app anymore. It's a foundational product in its own right, and we're building it that way.

The goal is self-service from day one. Restaurant operators should be able to manage their profile, update hours, run specials, and connect with high-intent diners at the exact moment those groups are deciding where to go — without needing to call anyone or file a ticket. We've built the high-fidelity prototype and integrated Gemini AI for things like natural-language hours updates. Tell it "we're closed Easter Sunday" and it handles the rest.

·     High-fidelity prototype is built and in internal testing this month

·     Gemini AI integration enables natural-language profile management

·     Proof of Concept demo to merchant partners by end of April

·     Merchants get connected to the decision moment — not generic impressions

What we're hearing from our beta community has been clear on this: operators don't want more reach, they want more relevance. SoGoBusiness puts them in the room — digitally — when a group of six is picking Saturday night dinner. That's what we're building toward.

"Merchants want intent, not impressions." — This is what 150+ beta users and their restaurant partners have been telling us since September. SoGo Business is our answer to that signal.

BETA PULSE

We talk to our beta users constantly — in person and through direct conversations since day one. No formal surveys yet, just real word-of-mouth from people actually using SoGo. Here's the honest version of what we're hearing: the things that are landing, the friction people are feeling, and what they keep asking for.

Groups want Party Chat to do more of the deciding for them

The most consistent ask we hear: surface a clear recommendation inside the chat so groups don't have to debate from a blank page. People are using Party Chat to coordinate, then dropping to iMessage to actually decide. That gap is something we're actively designing around for Beta 3.

Charlotte and Chicago users are the most engaged in the network

Our two launch markets have the deepest DineList coverage and the highest session frequency. Building out additional data for new cities before July 14th is one of our clearest priorities heading into Q2.

Every piece of this feeds directly into the Beta 3 build. We're not collecting it to fill a dashboard — we're using it to decide what gets worked on next. If you're in the beta and have thoughts, reach out directly. We mean that.

I'll keep this simple: we've been looking for the right engineering leader for a while, and Nick is the right person. He's not going to walk in and make it complicated — that's one of the first things I noticed about him. He's direct, he's calm, he knows how to build and how to lead people who build. For a team moving at the speed we're moving, that combination is rare.

20+ years of experience designing and scaling distributed SaaS platforms, data systems, and cloud infrastructure. Deep expertise in backend architecture, event-driven systems, and high-performance applications. Nick has spent two decades making complex technical systems actually work at scale — and making the teams around them better in the process.

What that résumé doesn't fully capture is how he operates. Nick is the kind of person engineers want to work for — laid back, no ego, genuinely invested in the people around him. He manages teams the way you'd want to be managed. That matters as much to us as the technical depth.

With Nick on board alongside Joe on the engineering side, we have real capacity to attack the infrastructure work that Beta 3 and the road beyond it requires. Distributed systems, event-driven architecture, scalable backend — these aren't nice-to-haves at our next stage. They're the foundation. Nick's built that foundation before, more than once. We're glad he's building it with us.

Welcome to the table, Nick. We're moving fast — you picked the right moment to show up.

EARLY ACCESS

Here's what being on the early waitlist actually means: you get access before the general public, you get to shape what gets built, and your feedback goes directly to us — not a customer success rep who files a ticket. We read everything.

Beta 3 targets 500+ users across Chicago, Charlotte, Detroit. We're building DineLists for each city, expanding The Concierge's recommendation depth, and pushing Party Chat to actually carry a group from "where should we go?" to confirmed reservation — all in one place.

If you've been watching SoGo build and waiting to see how it turns out: this is the moment to stop watching and start using it. The waitlist puts you at the front of the Beta 3 rollout. Form coming soon. Get ready.

No spam. No nonsense. Just early access to a product that a lot of people are going to wish they'd found sooner.

Interested in backing what we're building? Community investors can join through WeFunder — find the link at SoGoPeople.com/investors. We're raising toward a $1.5M round and the door is open to the community that's been with us from the start.

We are 'testing the waters' to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through WeFunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.