An innovative way to comfortably exit uncomfortable situations

In an era dominated by online dating platforms, the frequency of awkward encounters has skyrocketed, leaving many individuals trapped in uncomfortable situations with no graceful exit strategy. Recognizing this modern dilemma, renowned comedian Chelsea Handler envisioned a innovative solution: a mobile app that would empower users to smoothly extricate themselves from awkward social scenarios. The Yeti team came on board, partnering with Chelsea Handler to bring this vision to life.

The Challenge

Developing an app that would allow users to quickly and easily exit uncomfortable situations  presented a unique and multifaceted challenge that required blending innovation, humor, and practical functionality. We were challenged with creating an app that not only aligned with Chelsea Handler's comedic brand but also provided genuine value to users in awkward social situations. The primary hurdle was designing a streamlined solution that would allow users to gracefully exit uncomfortable encounters using only their smartphones.

To bring this idea to life, we needed to craft an intuitive interface that enabled quick creation and scheduling of believable excuses, and develop a system that could generate realistic-looking text messages and phone calls without encouraging excessive dishonesty. Additionally, the app had to seamlessly integrate with users' existing contact lists and scheduling habits, ensuring a smooth and discreet experience when it mattered most.

Another significant challenge was creating a diverse library of excuse templates that would cater to a wide range of social situations, from bad dates to boring meetings, while still allowing for personalization. The team had to consider how to make the app both entertaining and functional, ensuring that users would find value in it beyond the initial novelty. Balancing these elements required careful consideration of user experience, technical implementation, and ethical implications.

Want to see the Yeti team in action? Check out this clip from Chelsea Does Silicon Valley!

The Solution

We created an intuitive smartphone app that enables users to create customizable excuses which can be sent to their phone in the form of a text message or phone call. Users can schedule their custom-made excuses in advance or activate them on the spot, offering a convenient “escape plan” in unexpected social predicaments.

At the heart of our approach was a user-friendly interface that allows users to generate believable excuses with just three taps, ensuring ease of use in potentially stressful situations. This simplicity is crucial for the app's effectiveness, as it enables users to quickly create and deploy their escape plans when needed most.

We implemented a highly customizable excuse system, allowing users to craft their own "Gotta Go" scenarios tailored to their specific needs. The app also allows for the creation of up to seven SMS messages, providing enough detail to make the excuse convincing without becoming overly complicated. For added realism, users can schedule an optional one-minute phone call, further selling the authenticity of their situation. To do so, we integrated

To ensure the excuses appear genuine and convincing, we integrated the app with telephony services, which allows the app to send authentic calls and texts to the user's phone, creating a realistic scenario that can withstand scrutiny from those around them. We also developed a reliable scheduling mechanism, allowing users to trigger their Gotta Gos at precisely specified times, adding another layer of credibility to their excuses.

To enhance the user experience and maintain the illusion, the app prompts users to add its phone number to their contacts,  ensuring  that incoming calls and messages appear to come from a legitimate contact, further selling the authenticity of the excuse.

The Outcome

Gotta Go emerged as a groundbreaking solution in the mobile app landscape, achieving remarkable success that far exceeded initial expectations. Shortly after its release, the app saw rapid user adoption, with over 100,000 active users, 200,000 new excuses created and approximately 2,500 new excuses generated daily.