Danique | BYOU Founder Letters

Dear you,

My first Founders letter, where I share the Good, the Bad, and the truth of building BYOU.

I’m sitting here, heart racing because of all the caffeine, trying to put into words why I keep fighting for BYOU, even when the world feels heavy, even when people told me to quit, even when all the money was gone.

How can it be that in 2025 it’s still easier to order sushi to your door than to find a good therapist when you feel broken inside? How can we scroll endlessly but not find a safe space to say “I don’t feel okay”?

That’s why BYOU exists.

💚 In the BYOU app you can actually book a therapist, a coach, a wellbeing expert, online, at home, even in the office.
💚 With BYOU Friend, teenagers can talk to a real person their own age instead of a chatbot. No fake comfort. Just a friend who cares.
💚 And through BYOU Impact Foundation, donations and credits make sure that support also reaches teens and schools that could never pay for it.

This is not theory. This is happening. We’ve built it. It’s alive.

But here’s the truth: building BYOU nearly broke me. We’ve been on the edge of bankruptcy. I’ve had to let people go that I still love dearly. I’ve had days where I cried wondering if anyone even cared. And still, I refuse to give up.

Because the world needs BYOU now more than ever.

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t have it all figured out. But I do know this: we can’t keep ignoring the pain around us. And I believe that together, with enough voices, enough believers, we can rewrite this story.

So if you’re reading this, you’re part of it now.

• Share this letter with someone who needs hope.

• Donate a credit so a teen doesn’t have to feel alone tonight.

• And if you’re an investor, leader, or dreamer, stand next to me. Let’s make wellbeing accessible without borders.

This isn’t just a startup. This is life. This is BYOU.

With love and fire,
Danique