About

A Little Drive is what happens when you've spent decades in the trenches of social software and still believe we can do better. We're a small studio creating tools that help people connect without the noise, share without the anxiety, and express themselves without the algorithms getting in the way.

I'm Jason Shellen, and I've been working on the intersection of people and technology since the early days of the web. I was there when Blogger first gave everyone a blog. I helped build Google Reader (RIP). I co-created Brizzly, that quirky Twitter/Facebook client that first brought you inline photos, trend explanations, and group DMs when those were still revolutionary ideas. I've also shaped products at Pinterest, AOL, and Slack, always asking: "How can we better understand each other and have fun?"

an illustration of a bear named Phineas in a bird suit

Remember Brizzly? That lovable bear in a bird suit who made Twitter feel approachable back in 2009? After AOL acquired and eventually shuttered it, I bought it back in 2018 because some ideas are worth resurrecting. A reimagined Brizzly Zero, a tongue-in-cheek celebration of logging off and reclaiming your attention became a minor sensation too. Later came Brizzly+, which gave you a moment to breathe before your hot takes hit the timeline and added a pseudo-Edit button for Twitter. I'm sure Brizzly will be back soon in another incarnation.

A Little Drive takes that same spirit and steps on the gas. We're building software with personality. Software that respects your time and intelligence. Software that might even make you smile.

What if your social tools left you feeling energized instead of drained? What if they helped you cut through the chaos instead of adding to it? What if (and stay with me here) they were actually fun to use?

We're cooking up some new things that we think answer these questions in surprising ways. Subscribe to our infrequent email list if you're curious about what's next. No spam, no nonsense. Just a friendly note when we have something worth sharing.

Come along for the drive. The windows are down. The playlist is excellent.