Mantel

@alexisohanian Thanks for hunting Mantel! You hit the nail on the head. There isn't a go-to social media destination for collectors, and these hobbies are far too fun and interesting to dive into without a community. As broad-interest social media networks get more driven by algorithms, ads and content the DEVELOPERS want you to see vs. content YOU want to see, we figured there had to be a better way. What if we built a site with features and tools built for a specific audience? What if we made it easier for people to find content that brought them joy? What if we made it possible to meet people online who share similar interests? And what if we did it in an app free of trolls and triggers? The goal is lofty, but we're placing a bet that people will seek out niche community sites as the incumbent social networks continue to get more stressful. And if collectors want to find a new home to hang, share, learn and connect... well let's build it for them (and, as collectors, us). We're a team of collectors (I'm too deep into sports cards, memorabilia, watches and toys... and I'd own a fleet of old Mercedes sedans and Chevy trucks if I had the cash and space). We're incredibly passionate about this product. And we hope that collectors of all types will come check us out, join the community, and help us build something special. Thank you for taking a look! Let us know what you think!

@alexisohanian @evaneparker Love the vision behind Mantel! It’s exciting to see a platform specifically designed for collectors, providing a space that isn’t driven by algorithms and ads. As someone who enjoys niche communities, this sounds like a much-needed shift. Can't wait to check it out and see how the community evolves!

@alexisohanian @tonyabracadabra thank you! Please pass along your feedback- would love to know what you think.

@alexisohanian Completely agree! I truly believe Mantel is special for bringing collectors together in a way that feels authentic and engaging. It's incredible to see a platform built with such thoughtfulness around community and shared passions—kudos to the team for creating a space where collectors of all things can find community! Can't wait for what's to come!

@alexisohanian I couldn’t agree more—your perfectly captured what Mantel is all about! As a team, we’ve worked hard to build a space that brings collectors together in a way that feels authentic, engaging, and, most importantly, fun. The joy of collecting is something truly special, and creating an environment free from politics, toxicity, and the usual online chaos is a big part of what makes Mantel unique. It’s a place for the passionate—an escape, a celebration, and a community all rolled into one.

@busmark_w_nika thanks for your question. We kicked off a tiny ad campaign yesterday for our launch, but before that, we’ve grown through content (our socials @onmantel and our newsletters), and word of mouth. The beauty of a community platform is if people are enjoying it, they tend to tell their friends.

@busmark_w_nika Community building and word of mouth before launch has been a large part of efforts. We feel like we have attracted the right super fans of our product who would vouch for us!

@busmark_w_nika @onmantel @evaneparker Thanks for the great question! I think of the approach multiplication over addition—creating something so engaging that users naturally invite others. A strong community grows exponentially when people feel connected and excited enough to share it. Word of mouth, combined with authentic content and strategic launches is definitely a powerful way to scale!

@onmantel @evaneparker @keegan_wagner What good advertisement or marketing effort made you to share it with your friends and circles? :)

@onmantel @evaneparker Where can I subscribe to the newsletter?

@keegan_wagner @quyen_hua @shane_deol1 @alexisohanian @ashitvora thanks for the question. Keeping the community safe is our top priority. We have a mix of built in safety features (blocking/reporting) and human moderation right now, and we’re working to implement some AI moderation as well. And we rely on our community to help set the right tone and keep Mantel safe. This will be daily work for us though- we will need to focus on it constantly to make sure we keep improving our mod/safety features.

@evaneparker @keegan_wagner @quyen_hua @alexisohanian @ashitvora This is definitely a challenge. Safety of users is at the top of our minds. Currently we have a team moderating for anything suspicious. We plan to introduce some tech for moderation, which will come soon.

@evaneparker @keegan_wagner @shane_deol1 @alexisohanian @ashitvora Thanks for raising this, it’s a challenge every community faces, and we take it very seriously. To help protect against trolls and maintain a positive experience for everyone, we’ve built features that allow users to block, report, or even hide posts and comments from their feed. These tools are designed to give each user more control over what they see and how they interact within Mantel. We appreciate your attention to this—it’s questions like yours that make communities stronger. Keep them coming!

@keegan_wagner @quyen_hua @shane_deol1 @ashitvora @evaneparker I sadly know a thing or two about this and y'all have made it a priority in so many subtle smart ways, I'm optimistic y'all can stay ahead of it even as the platform grows massively.

@cranqnow thanks for the kind words! I hope you’ll find Mantel to be a fun place to meet more book collectors and enjoy your hobby.

@evaneparker I hope so too Evan :)

@cranqnow I'd love to hear more about your passion for collecting old books on Mantel! Our new Groups feature, launching soon, will make it easier than ever to connect with others who share your interests, fostering meaningful connections without the overwhelm of traditional social media.

@junloayza I appreciate this question and it's something we spend a lot of time thinking about. We're launching a new feature in 2 weeks that will focus on niche communities within Mantel, that can be around very specific topics and moderated by members of those micro-communities. Influencers/creators, brands, experts, enthusiasts. We'll work with the mods/admins of those Groups to make sure they have the features and support necessary to grow and thrive. We've built in some initial safety features- ways to block/report- and have human moderators today, but we know we'll need to continually scale that as the community grows. AI moderation, and additional human mods, will be crucial. But above all, we'll need the community to help set the right tone and keep Mantel fun, informative and safe. It's hard to be the lone troll in a sea of respectful enthusiasts, and we'll do all we can to ensure the loudest voices are the ones who are welcoming and positive.