in connects
we trust
1handshake is a members-only network for people in tech. You get in only by meeting a member in person — a joint selfie becomes a one-time invite — and every intro comes through someone you both know.
you asked anna for an intro. she backed it 🔥
how it works
full walkthrough →meet a member
There is no sign-up form and no waitlist. Someone who is already a member invites you — in person, face to face.
selfie + qr
You take a selfie together. It turns into a QR code with the selfie in the middle; the code works once and lives for 5 minutes.
make your card
You scan the code with your phone's camera, sign in with Google and tell about yourself by voice or text. AI drafts your card; you edit it and join.
ask for intros
You see people one handshake away. Ask to meet someone and the request goes through the friends you share — they can back it with 🔥.
meet a member to get in
There is no sign-up form and no waitlist. A member takes a selfie with you; it becomes a QR code that works once and lives for 5 minutes. Scan it with your camera, tell about yourself, and AI drafts your card.
max wants to meet you
everyone is one handshake away
You see the people your connections know. Ask to meet someone, and the request goes through the friends you share. They can back it with 🔥 — no cold messages from strangers.
your card works everywhere
Your card is a public page at 1handshake.com/@you — like a link in bio, with your role, city, bio and socials. It has its own llms.txt, so search engines and AI assistants know who you are.
anna kim — product designer
Designs tools for founders. Runs a monthly design crit.
why 1handshake?
real
You join only by meeting a member, with a selfie to prove it.
warm
Every intro comes through someone you both know. They can back it with 🔥.
verified
Each connection in the graph is a meeting that really happened.
one handshake away
See who your connections know, and ask them for an intro.
your card
A public page at 1handshake.com/@you, with llms.txt for search and AI.
open code
The code is public on GitHub under AGPL-3.0.
closed data
Your data lives in the EU. Export it or delete your account any time.
i need · i can
Say what you need and what you can help with; AI finds matches.
free
No paid plans. Once you're in, sign in with Google.
open code,
closed data
The code is public. Members' data is not.
agpl-3.0
eu · frankfurt
free
export · delete
- AGPL-3.0. Anyone can read and run the code; if you run a modified version as a service, you share your changes too.
- Your Google account email, your card (name, role, bio, photo, city), your birthday (only you see it), your handshakes and requests, and the joint selfie from your invite.
- A Postgres database and file storage in the EU, in Frankfurt. Photos are re-encoded on your device before upload, which removes location and camera metadata.
- Your card at 1handshake.com/@you and its llms.txt.
- Your “i need” and “i can”; your connections — only while “open to network” is on.
- Your birthday — it stays visible only to you.
- Export everything as JSON or delete your account from your profile. Deletion erases your personal data; an anonymous ghost 👻 node stays so intro chains don't break.
LinkedIn made networking cold. Strangers in your inbox. Connections you never met. A feed of humblebrags.
We're building it back warm. You get in only by meeting a member — in person, with a selfie to prove it. Every intro comes through someone you both know. Your card is yours. The code is open. Your data isn't.
Everyone you need is one handshake away.
why we ask for google
1handshake uses Sign in with Google only to create your account and to sign you in. From Google we get your name and email address (and the link to your profile picture, if your account has one). We never see your password and get no access to your Gmail, Drive or contacts.
Your email stays private — only you can see it. Read exactly what we keep and why in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
questions
What's the idea of 1handshake?
LinkedIn is a network of business cards. 1handshake is a network of handshakes: it only connects people who actually met — every connection starts with a joint selfie — and you meet anyone else through a friend you share. Everyone you need is one handshake away.
What about privacy?
Your card is public, so search engines and AI assistants can find you. Your connections are visible to members only while “open to network” is on, and your birthday is never shown to anyone. Data is stored in the EU, in Frankfurt, and you can export everything or delete your account from your profile.
How do I join 1handshake?
Meet a member in person. You take a selfie together, their phone shows a one-time QR code that lives for 5 minutes, you scan it with your camera, sign in with Google, tell a bit about yourself and get your card.
Is 1handshake free?
Yes. There are no paid plans.
Is 1handshake open source?
Yes. The code is public on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 license: anyone can read and run it, and anyone who runs a modified version as a service has to share their changes too. Members' data is never part of the code.
No one I know is a member?
Then the way in is a meetup or event where members are. Events with one QR code for all guests are next on the roadmap.