Freeform: A New Experiment From Every Studio

TLDR: Today we’re sharing the latest experiment from Every Studio: Freeform, an AI-powered tool for creating smarter, more adaptive forms built by entrepreneur in residence Cassius Kiani. Try it out yourself with a 2024 reflection and let us know what you think.—Brandon Gell

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When I learned that Meta is going to launch AI avatars on its platforms for users to interact with, my first reaction was that it’s a bold idea (and I love bold ideas). 

My second reaction was, “Why?” 

Facebook grew into a trillion-dollar business because it tapped into a universal need for human connection. It wasn’t about deep technology—it was about bringing people together. Even features that faced backlash, like the News Feed, were designed to strengthen that sense of connection, making it easier to see what friends were up to in real time. Meta has some shiny new tools—AI avatars, the metaverse—but it feels like they’re searching for excuses to use them for their own sake, rather than to delight and connect real people. 

An easy way to frame this situation is that they’re swapping problems for possibilities. It’s like designing a house that pushes boundaries in architecture but is only occupied by ghosts. And I say this as someone who has swapped problems for possibilities before.

I worked with the team that created the first-ever decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), because I was nerd-sniped by the blockchain’s promise for decentralized governance. It felt like the future—democratic systems tied to mutual upside. But what did I learn? People didn’t want governance; they wanted accountability. When things went wrong, they didn’t want to be in charge—they wanted someone to blame. The most common question we heard was, “Who’s running this?” When the answer was, “You, the DAO holders,” the excitement faded fast.

I made similar mistakes while building a new product in legal tech. I thought inefficient law firms were desperate for innovation. But lawyers weren’t looking for ways to save time; they were looking for ways to bill for more hours. Every time we found a clever way to save them a few million dollars by reducing labor costs or reducing how long certain tasks would take, we were met with, “...and how will we bill a client for this?”

I now realize there’s a gap between what people say, what they do, and what they want. And maybe this is where Meta’s AI avatars will prove me wrong—because quite often, you have to build before you really learn what people want. 

I learned this lesson most clearly while working in healthcare. Patients, I discovered, often just want to feel heard. Sometimes, that feeling is more important than the treatment itself. When patients felt heard, they were more likely to stick to their treatment plans, which led to better outcomes.

One of the ways we worked to improve communication was by rethinking patient forms. Traditional forms frustrate everyone. Patients have no idea what they’re being asked or how the information is relevant to their treatments. Doctors often feel that patients don’t give enough information or misinterpret the intent behind the question. The result? Insufficient information, misaligned care, and less trust in treatment plans.

There was a tension that AI could help resolve—not by automating for the sake of it, but by improving the experience for both patients and doctors. Imagine forms that adapt in real time, asking smarter questions based on a patient’s answers. Patients would feel understood, doctors would get actionable insights, and both sides would win.

My hunch is that this communication gap exists across forms in general. In most contexts, forms are critical connection points between people and systems, yet they’re often static and impersonal. We design forms like we design crockery: We assume it’s fine for it all to be the same. But really, forms should be more like meaningful conversations, rather than watching a recorded lecture.

That’s why I’m working on Freeform, an AI-powered tool I’m building to experiment with creating adaptive, dynamic forms. No two Freeforms will ever be the same. The questions adapt in real time based on your answers, diving deeper into interesting insights or stepping back when engagement fades. It’s more like a great conversation—guided by structure but full of unexpected turns, where everyone comes out better for it.

Freeform is my attempt to focus on problems rather than possibilities. If it works, it could be a blueprint for better tools that help people better connect with systems (and each other). But as always, I’ll only know if I’ve found a real problem once it’s out into the real world.

If you’re curious, give Freeform a spin with our Every Archetype experiment, which will guide you through a reflection of 2024 to discover your archetype for the year. It’ll help me learn whether this is something other people actually want, or just another shiny distraction.

Parting wisdom? Solve problems rather than possibilities. Get that right, and tools will follow. 

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Thanks to Katie Parrott for editorial support.

Cassius Kiani is an entrepreneur in residence at Every. He cofounded the nonprofit Pledges and health tech company Mora Medical. 

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