A letter from the CEO: Why I'm building Sway
Politics today is dysfunctional. Critics point in a lot of directions—a lack of engagement, the 24-hour news cycle, our two-party system. These are all fair takes, and they have one thing in common: they obscure the will of the people.
Right now, there’s no good way to translate collective will to decision makers. In the absence of an aggregator, unions and special-interest groups fill the void. Agendas reflect their priorities, not ours.
Sway is looking to change that by borrowing a mechanism we know works: to organize around shared views and wield leverage for change.
Like many founders, I am building the thing I wish I had when I was trying to make changes on the ground. Coalition building has been a theme across my entire career, most visibly as a teacher in the Oakland public school systems lobbying for computer science to count towards college admissions requirements and more recently as an organizer in Pittsburgh for the 2024 presidential election. When we say, "Someone should do something about this," I endeavor to be that someone.
I’ve knocked hundreds of doors, made thousands of phone calls, joined committees, and authored petitions. What I’ve found over and over again is that it’s not difficult to get people to care. They do, deeply, not just about federal issues but the local issues that closely affect their day-to-day lives. What is hard is measuring this care in a way that powers change—and this is the overarching problem Sway is solving.
Today, pilot leaders on Sway are sharing pages that ask their followers to “Vote With” them on a cause. The value for both sides is immediate: supporters benefit from simplified ballot decisions through trusted voter guides and leaders gain verified constituent influence. One way to think of Sway is as a new form of political currency, backed by civic action.
But it’s not just about a handshake agreement between a leader and supporter. We will enable these early leaders to connect with others within their movements. These connections will strengthen each leader’s leverage and create micro coalitions centered around policy areas. As the graph matures, candidates will want to use Sway to establish their platforms. At scale, polling will be obsolete.
From my past employment and cursory review of my socials, my party allegiance is quite clear. Anyone spending all day thinking about reforming politics likely has skin in the game. Ultimately, though, I’m on the side of a healthy democracy, powered by the true will of the people. Sway is committed to being a neutral, trusted, and open platform, and I understand what that asks of me as its leader.
I'm excited to once again be building something new with my longtime collaborator and now cofounder Ali Partovi. He shared a blog laying out the vision for our latest venture. Its title, ‘Sway: a plan to reimagine democracy’ more than hints at the height of our ambitions. I encourage you to read the blog in full.
I’m building Sway alongside a stellar team: Kayla Huang Prachi Gupta Albert R Joel Yong. We’d love for you to join us—as someone who leads on Sway, supports a cause, or even on our team. Head to sway.co for the waitlist or email me at claire[at]sway[dot]co if you want to build alongside us.
