aitiner x tally
A founder to founder chat
on LinkedIn DM-ing
Lexy: Sarah, I’ve got to start with the big question, what made you slide into my LinkedIn DMs?
Sarah: I was scrolling through my feed and saw your post about Tally and how you found so many pain points when planning a Hen Do. As the unofficial designated planner of my group, I completely resonated and it’s also one of the reasons why I started AITINER - an app that helps people discover and make their plans in London with personalised suggestions. With that in mind, I thought there could be some synergy between what we were both trying to do.
I also awkwardly realised that we went to the same uni but never actually spoke so had a moment of hesitation before sending you a message but life is too short so here we are!
What was your first thought when you read my message?
Lexy: Honestly? “Finally, someone else who gets exactly where I’m at.” I’ve had plenty of polite LinkedIn hellos, but yours was one of the first that felt like a real outreach on a founder level. Plus, I loved the whole “we went to the same uni but never spoke” twist. Clearly fate was just waiting until we both had apps to plug before throwing us together.
the Apps
Lexy: For those who don’t know, tell us what your app is all about and the gap you saw in the market.
Sarah: I was in a mental space where I wanted to build my own product that would actually be helpful to society. I didn’t just want to come out with a product or service that I’m not passionate about so I really had to reflect on the things that I’m good at. After a fair few podcasts on how to generate ideas and some reflection, something I knew for sure was that people always come to me for suggestions on things to do ‘Where should I go on a date?’ ‘Where can I have my birthday dinner’ and I always have a lift of options.
After 10+ years in the city and my fair share of trying new things, I’ve built a decent directory of places and always keen to try more.
This is when I thought an app that can automate and match what the user is looking for with spots and potential itineraries where they can scan and book these spots directly on the app would be super useful! And that’s how AITINER was born.
And what about Tally? How would you describe it, and what makes it different from other trip planners out there?
Lexy: Tally is essentially the level-headed friend in the group chat. You know that person who quietly takes charge of the spreadsheet, PayPal links, and WhatsApp reminders? That's me, and I've built the app I always wished I had. With Tally, you can add guests, poll them, track payments, split costs into instalments, and even share photos afterwards. It's less about making planning look pretty and more about actually taming the chaos. I just hate chaos!
on The nightmare of Planning
Lexy: You’ve mentioned that generic itinerary advice, especially for hen dos, can be a real frustration. Why is that such a problem?
Sarah: TikTok/Instagram and some online articles have loads of generic advice and even worse- a lot of paid for placements. You can find some hidden gems in there but it takes a while to scroll through all the noise. If there was a page to filter to budget and what you’re looking for, it would save so much time. And that’s exactly how we can solve that problem.
How does Tally help make planning more tailored and less cookie-cutter?
Lexy: Because Tally doesn’t tell you what to do, it just makes sure whatever you decide actually happens without ten meltdowns in the WhatsApp thread. Every hen do or girls’ trip has its own vibe: some groups want boujee beach clubs, others want inflatable flamingos and 3am karaoke. Tally flexes to whatever chaos you’ve got planned, and keeps the money, itinerary, and to-dos in one place so the organiser can actually enjoy themselves too.
On Collabing
Lexy: You’ve got the creative ideas and inspiration side nailed. How do you see your app working alongside Tally?
Sarah: I mean to me it’s clear - Tally is more of a tool for centralising the planning process and AITINER recommends the spots to go to. Everyone is so individual and the same goes for what brides would want out of a hen do, I think both of our apps value the users will make use of our platforms differently and that’s something we’re proud to cater to.
And from your perspective, what’s the biggest win for users if we collaborate?
Lexy: It’s simple: AITINER sparks the ideas, Tally makes them happen. You find the best spots in London (without scrolling through 500 TikToks), and then Tally keeps the payments, timings, and dress codes all in check. Basically, you inspire the plans and I herd the cats. Put the two together and you’ve got a full 360 trip-planning dream team.
on the uni connection
Lexy: We found out we went to the same university years later! How weird was that for you?
Sarah: It’s not that weird to me actually. I think paths cross for a reason and I think this is a fantastic reason!
What about you?
Lexy: I think it’s hilarious. We were probably in the library at the same time, stressed out over essays, and had no clue we’d both end up building apps that help people plan their social lives. Honestly, I’m just glad our paths didn’t cross in the uni group project era, at least now we get to collaborate on something fun!
OK let’s end on this one: If you had to describe building your app in three emojis, what would they be?
Mine is -
🙃 for my “what on earth am I doing?” moments.
🔥 for when I finally solved a pain point and it finally works.
🍾 because at the end of the day, it’s all about hen dos and trips worth celebrating.
Sarah: I love those - especially the 🍾 because celebrating the wins are so important and that’s something I’m actively trying to get better at. I’d say mine are
🫠 feel like melting at times as there’s so much to do and so little time!
👀 AITINER helps people discover places so I always have to be on the lookout for what’s new and happening
🤝 because I am nothing without the people helping me get to where I (and AITINER) want to be