Danny Hogenkamp, CEO of dumb.co, believes that deep down, everyone knows they should not spend their one human consciousness glued to a smartphone. His startup is part of a growing anti-tech movement, pushing flip phones as a way for young people to find social and spiritual freedom.
Participants in a program called Month Offline (MO) paid $75 to swear off smartphones for March, using a retrofitted TCL Flip 2 provided by dumb.co. The device includes essential apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Maps, and Uber, making it more functional than traditional flip phones.
Hogenkamp, who founded Grassroots Analytics at age 22, began experimenting with device-free meetings after the Covid-19 lockdowns, noticing increased creativity and productivity. In 2023, a roommate gave him a flip phone as a joke, which sparked his interest in the dumbphone movement.
With proceeds from his first company, Hogenkamp tried several dumb ideas, including a phone-free bar and Yondr pouches for phone-free parties. In 2024, he met Grant Besner, and together they created MO in early 2025. The program has since grown, with over 1,000 active dumbphone users and 300 MO participants.
Danielle Hirshberg, an early investor, notes that women make up about three-quarters of dumbphone users, mostly in DC and New York, with an average age of 24. She emphasizes that dumb.co aims to give people their lives back, not just sell another phone plan.
Software engineer Jack Nugent designed the company's dumb OS, which includes a weather app, music streaming, and a messaging app. He acknowledges the contradiction of designing a device to get people off devices but believes technology can be used for good.
The two-phone model allows users to leave their smartphone at home while still being reachable via the dumbphone. Participants report feeling less consumed by their smartphones and more mindful. However, some still use their smartphones for tasks like Citibike, highlighting the challenge of full disconnection.
Hogenkamp predicts dumb.co will become the fourth largest phone company in America within five months, a bold claim given the dominance of Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Despite skepticism, the company offers a third way between total abstinence and constant connectivity, promoting moderation rather than complete rejection of technology.
