New Groover FAQ
New Groover FAQ

New Groover FAQ

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Hey there, you new Groover, you! Welcome. We’re excited you’re checking this out and look forward to meeting you inside Groove soon.

🤳 How it works

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Did Groove’s Head of Community record a video that will help me understand how Groove works in 60 seconds?

Wow, you really know how to start off with the right questions! She did indeed → Check out this nifty Groove in 60 Seconds video:

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What’s the structure of a Groove? How does it work?

Find connection, not distraction ➡️ Groove’s simple structure means you get all the perks of global connection with other solopreneurs, but also focused offline time without video.

Here’s how it works:

1) Join a Groove. Hop on Groove's mobile app to start or join a Groove. 1-3 others will join you soon, and you'll get started with a short video check-in to say hi and share verbally what you’ll be working on.

2) Dive into deep work. You'll go off video for 50 minutes to work on your goal. During this time, other Groovers can’t hear or see you - you’ll all see a 50-minute timer. You can interact in the written chat (if you want to!) and use the task list to stay focused and on track.

3) Regroup. When the time is up, the group gets back together on video for a quick recap to talk through how it went.

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Is there a facilitator inside a Groove? How do I know what to do?

Nope, just you and 1-3 other Groovers. The Groove app itself makes it easy for the experience to run smoothly each time. In the pre-Groove chat, the app will prompt one person to share their goal first. Then, that person “passes the mic” to the next person. So, even though there’s no facilitator, the Groove app will empower you to know what to do next. We do have an awesome Welcome Crew (a group of avid Groovers) that host scheduled Grooves each week to give new Groovers like you a warm welcome. Scroll down on the app to RSVP for one. These are only available to Groovers who have Grooved less than 5x.

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How long do people socialize inside a Groove session?

Altogether, including socializing at the start and regrouping, you can expect the entire session to last about an hour. When you are sharing your goals at the beginning, the outline around each people will change colors to show you’ve been talking for at least one minute and it’s time to move on to the next person.

If you have to get to work quickly in order to make a call at the top of the hour, for example, communicate that! If you’d like to ask someone a question about something in their Groove bio and get to know them better in the post-Groove chat, ask them if they have an extra couple of minutes. Respecting each other’s time is extremely important to us.

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What are some of the tasks people use Groove for?

Some Groovers like to tackle long-procrastinated tasks like redoing their website or creating a new strategy to better promote their business; others use it first thing in the day to organize their to-do list and power through emails; and others use it for brainstorming and rare time to unplug and think. We know that working from home and being a solo worker means life and work blend together. Groove is a place where you can accomplish tasks that fall into either bucket! It’s not uncommon to see someone using the time to finally clean up their living room or go for a walk! 🚶🏻‍♀️

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So I can Groove at any time of day?

Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, you can use Groove any time. Whenever you want a 50-minute deep work sesh, we’re here.

We’re a global community, so usually, there’s someone around to hop in your Groove within a few minutes... If you want to be sure, hop on during typical working hours in the U.S.

💡 Pro tip: If you tap on your profile picture in Groove and then settings, you can customize your Grooving hours. We highly recommend doing this, so that you only get notifications from Groove during hours you like Grooving.

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Rumor has it there are three different types of Grooves, what’s the difference?
  • To start a regular, on-demand Groove, right here, right now. Click the big green button on the home screen. Other Groovers will join you shortly. This is the most common Groove type!
  • To start a private Groove with a specific person or people, visit your chats. Select the chat with the people you wanna Groove with (or make a new chat). Then, click +Groove in the top right corner and your friends will be invited to join you. No one outside of that chat will see you’re in this Groove, after all, it’s private.
  • To RSVP for a scheduled Groove aka book a time to Groove later in the week, scroll down to Upcoming Grooves and click “I’ll be there”. To create your own scheduled Groove, click the calendar icon on the home screen. You unlock the ability to schedule a Groove once you’ve Grooved 5x.

🤝 The community

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Who can I expect to meet inside the Groove community?

We’re a bunch of solo workers, based all around the world, gathering to help each other accomplish great things. We’re an interesting bunch of freelancers, self-employed, independent contractors, entrepreneurs, and business owners. We support, motivate, and celebrate one another day in and day out.

Everyone is friendly, paving their own wavy career path, eager to connect with others and, frankly, get sh*t done. Meet a few Groovers here. And check out who’s a part of the Welcome Crew and how they provide warm welcomes to new Groovers here.

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What are Groove orbits? How can I add someone to my orbit?

Groove orbits are a way to help you bump into familiar faces on Groove. When you start a Groove, only the people in your orbit will get a notification that you’re looking to Groove and they’ll have priority to join you. If no one from your orbit joins, your Groove becomes public and opens up for others to hop in.

This feature unlocks once you’ve Grooved 5x. Once you Groove with someone they will be automatically added to your orbit. You can click on your profile to manage settings and remove someone from your orbit if needed. They won’t see that you did this. If you want to add someone you know to your orbit manually you can search for their profile and request to add them.

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How many people should be in my orbit? 

That’s up to you. Orbits are meant to serve as your community of familiar faces, people you want to keep bumping into around here. If you keep your orbit small, you might have a hard time finding someone to Groove with. Orbits aren’t meant to just be your group of 3 good pals (use private Grooves for that). It’s much more likely your orbit includes 50+ people if you Groove a bunch. The number and names of people in your orbit are private—no one else can see them.

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If I share Groove with a friend will they be added directly into my orbit? 

YES! Click the handy share icon in the right corner of the Groove app, and then the green ‘send invite link’ button to share Groove with someone you want to come directly into your orbit. This will help them meet your friends on Groove more easily, so definitely a major plus if they come directly through you.

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Where can I find the Groove community agreements?

Glad you asked! Every Groover agrees to these when they create their Groove account. They’re great to revisit to know how to best help contribute to this special culture.

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Does “coworking” mean we’re bouncing ideas off of each other or working on the same thing?

The word “coworking” can confuse people sometimes. Inside Groove, you’re not working on the same project as other people; Groove is like the digital version of sitting next to an awesome human at a coffee shop who also has their laptop out and asking them, “Hey, what are you working on?” and talking for a couple of minutes before you put on your headphones for focus time…and then checking in with each other again in 50 minutes. While Groove’s focus sessions aren’t specifically designed for you to brainstorm or bounce ideas off of each other about your projects, you’re totally welcome to if you meet someone who’s interested in that.

We’ve also heard dozens of great stories of Groovers taking this to the next level and hiring other Groovers to support them on projects. This isn’t the focus of Groove (and we’re definitely not a place to be transactional about finding new work), but this is a cool result of meaningful relationships being built here.

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Why do you have an application process to get early access to Groove?

We believe in creating a community built on trust. Having an application process helps us intentionally bring in folks who really want to be a part of Groove and identify as solo workers, craving accountability and connection. Current Groovers all have handy, dandy share links that they can use to invite friends directly into Groove, so their friends don’t need to apply.

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Any wise words from folks who have been Grooving for a while?
  • “Be present. There’s something really magical about being in a Groove with 3 other people from around the world, ready to focus and keep each other accountable.” –Taylor 🧘‍♂️ Put away distractions and get ready to make progress.
  • “Just go for it! Everyone is super welcoming, and you don't have to be an extrovert to thrive in the Groove community.” –Kerri 🗣 In fact, we’ve found that on average, the Groove community is right in the middle of the introvert/extrovert spectrum. The format can be really energizing for all.
  • “Break down your tasks into bite-sized accomplishable to-do items.” –Jason ✅ With time, you’ll learn what’s possible in 50 minutes. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get to everything. Celebrate the little wins.
  • “When you need a little extra boost, go to your fellow Groovers” –Sarah 🕺 They’re like your work from home cheerleaders.
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How can I share Groove with a friend?

If your friend is interested in Grooving, invite them with your “share link,” which you can find on the main screen of Groove’s app. When you use your share link, they bypass the application process. They will automatically be added to your orbit.

If you want to bring in a big community or shout it out in a Slack group (and maybe want us to vet them a bit) — send them to groove.ooo.

🤖 Beep boop technical stuff

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How do I download Groove?

You can join by applying on our site or having a current Groover send you their invite link.

Groove is available on iPhones and Android under “Groove: Productivity, but fun”

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Is Groove mobile only?

For now, yes! We like to think of it as a third place in the palm of your hand that you can transport to when you need some accountability, focus, and social connection. One of the best parts about it being mobile only is how casual it can be to welcome people into your space. It’s quite common for Groovers to flip their phone camera around to share something cool they got for their WFH set up or the view outside their window.

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Can I schedule a Groove in advance?

Yes once you’ve completed 5 Grooves! Click the calendar icon to create a Groove for a date/time in the future. Set a theme/title for the Groove to unite around a similar intention with other Groovers. For example, you might create a "To-Do Setting 📝 " Groove for next Monday morning to kick off the week and figure out what needs to get done. Or, a "Zen Time 🧘🏽‍♂️ Meditation" for Friday afternoon. Everyone else who RSVPs for that Groove can join you in doing the same.

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Can anyone join my Scheduled Groove? 

People in your orbit can join your Scheduled Groove. If someone in your orbit RSVPs “yes” then people in their orbit can see it too and join in on the fun!

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What happens if no one RSVPs for the Groove you scheduled? 

You'll be prompted to start an on-demand Groove instead, which will ping others to see if they're around to join you.

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I RSVPed for a Groove, but I’m going to be two minutes late. Is that ok?

If you RSVPed, you can still get in, but the others may 'start work' without you.

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Will I get a reminder about my scheduled Groove? 

Yes, 10 minutes before inside the Groove app and you can also connect your Google Calendar to get reminders that way.

🤑 Let’s be honest, your top question is…

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And all this is... free?

For the time being and foreseeable future, yes! Groove is 100% free to use.

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If you have an additional question not listed here or in our tech support FAQ, shoot us a note at hello@grooveapp.io and we’ll get you sorted 📧