You may never have a mansion like Oprah, but now you can chat with her favorite interior designer, Nate Berkus — for a fee, of course.
a new app, introduction, allows anyone to book one-to-one video calls with industry experts for advice on everything from fashion and beauty to interior design, event planning and business development. While some users may book a session for a short, specific question, the platform was designed to also allow users to replicate a full consulting experience. Calls are offered in increments of 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes; some experts, like Forma Pilates founder Liana Levi, charge from $100 per 15 minutes, while Berkus and other household names charge up to $500. (New users get $10 off their first session.)
Founded in late 2021 by Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Raad Mobrem, Intro was founded on a desire to “democratize” access to industry professionals — a goal inspired by a chance encounter Mobrem had with the Copy-Chain Kinko founder Paul Orfalea, Mobrem, who previously worked as a consultant for Delta Airlines and led the product team at Intuit, credits this brief conversation with much of his success. “In the 15 minutes we had, I asked him about entrepreneurship and he shared some important lessons that inspired me and gave me the confidence to want to start my own entrepreneurial journey,” says Mobrem. (By the way, Orfalea is also available to chat via intro; 15 minutes is $275.)
Intro isn’t exactly the first product of its kind; At this point, there’s practically a whole cottage industry of fan-to-celebrity communication. On master class, Annie Leibovitz teaches photography while Serena Williams coaches tennis. And further miniatureFans can commission personalized videos from Mark McGrath and David Koechner. The difference with Intro is the applicability: Intro focuses on tangible, actionable feedback, not a meet-and-greet with your idols and inspiration. (Nothing against Serena et al., but these masterclass lessons aren’t really designed to make you a professional athlete; they’re more about general life advice. And most of the cameo sessions get lost on the internet airwaves in a matter of days. ) Most experts on Intro do not accept small projects from new clients and are not bookable anywhere else online. So unless you’re Oprah or a Kardashian, this app might be your only chance to access such top-tier talent.
The platform is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six (Ohanian, known as the co-founder of Reddit, is an expert on the platform), CAA founder Michael Ovitz, and an undisclosed network of celebrities, athletes, and CEOs. There is a form on the homepage to apply to become an Expert, which states that Experts have the opportunity to earn up to $500,000 annually through the platform. Intro gets 30% commission from experts.
Given the opportunity to test the service, I decided to speak to Shawn Henderson, an interior designer on Architectural Digest’s prestigious AD100 list with over 20 years of experience. At Intro, Henderson’s 15-minute sessions start at $199 (an hour is $765). Henderson told me he tries to do about six sessions a month, which he balances between bigger projects and summer trips. He has worked with clients in five or more sessions, looking for his suggestions when renovating and buying furniture. After planning a weekday afternoon, we jumped into the video conference within the intro app and immediately started the design chat. With a countdown at the start of your video call, it’s hard not to make the most of every second.
I took Henderson around my house so he could get an idea of my design style before showing him the wash area I wanted to focus on. I explained my problem: My washer and dryer were taking up too much space at the bottom of my stairwell; Since it was already an eyesore, I felt emboldened to leave piles of laundry around them. Henderson immediately got to work, sketching out ideas for replacing my side-by-side Washer and dryer for a stackable unit, move them to the back wall via a (possibly expensive) plumbing solution and make room for closets. He also laid out options for a sink and drying rack or a folding countertop. He then explained another option where I could use a pocket door to create an enclosed laundry room instead of an open space. He wasn’t able to provide a price quote, but did call specific websites and brands to look for backwall wallpaper and durable floor paint to cover my unsightly tiled floor in the area.
None of Intro’s experts communicate with clients outside of the app, including sending links or providing scans of sketches. When I asked Henderson how this worked, he was quick to explain that his intro clients take detailed notes. I found myself with a few notes from our call and screenshots of his sketches; but most of all a sense of confidence in the ideas I already had vaguely. If I go ahead with this renovation I could show the screenshot to a contractor but will have to do more formal drawings based on Henderson’s advice. Intro’s app does not allow chatting or picture sharing.
After exhausting all the details I could get from the video call about my laundry room, I asked him about a crazy idea I’ve had in mind for a long time: putting a freestanding bathtub in my bedroom. This is where I spent the last three minutes of our video conference looking for a professional opinion and gut reaction, not a sketch or mockup. Henderson, already noting the style of the bathroom faucet and my overall home decor, urged me not to go for a traditional English telephone faucet. “You don’t want a themed room,” he explained. Something more transitional would suit my space better. I would have loved to have scrolled through the options with him and selected them together, but this tactile advice was enough to get me back to the drawing board when planning this addition.
If you’ve done your own research, created your Pinterest boards, and DIYed as much as possible, Intro might be the last step you need to check out a few ideas before embarking on a home renovation project, new fitness routine, or dramatic new hairstyle. Would I have paid Henderson $199 to confirm my suspicions about the bathtub? Probably not, but I appreciated his openness to deviate from the original topic.
For business development, Intro more directly replicates a consultation and gives business owners a chance to practice a pitch with Ohanian and other industry giants. Who knows, maybe in a few years Intro will be the success story of a young entrepreneur who used the app to promote their services. That, or they need some compelling “before and after” photos of kitchen remodels.
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