Danny Hogenkamp, CEO of dumb.co, believes that deep down everyone knows that constant smartphone use is not the way to spend their one human consciousness. His startup is at the forefront of a growing anti-tech movement, pushing flip phones as a means for young people to find social and spiritual freedom.
The Month Offline Experiment
Twenty-eight New York residents paid $75 to participate in Month Offline (MO), a program challenging them to swear off smartphones entirely. An additional $25 went to dumb.co for the so-called dumbphones they would use. The early MO flip phones were so basic—no maps, no ride-sharing, iffy texting—that participants struggled. The latest cohort tested dumb.co's souped-up version, a discontinued TCL Flip 2 enhanced with messaging and mapping functions.
Most participants were sick of being glued to their smartphones and eager to dabble in the analog movement. MO's mission is to restore social, psychological, and spiritual freedom. However, some questioned whether dumb.co is authentic in its offline aspirations or just a tech startup riding the anti-tech zeitgeist.
Danny Hogenkamp's Journey
Hogenkamp, 31, founded Grassroots Analytics, a data and tech firm for progressive causes, at 22. After instituting device-free meetings post-Covid, he observed increased creativity and productivity. In 2023, a roommate gave him a flip phone as a joke. It barely worked, but Hogenkamp felt better with less screen time. Research supports that low screen time is linked to better quality of life.
He decided the future is dumb. Using money from his first company, he tried seven dumb ideas, including a screen-time betting app, a phone-free bar, and Yondr pouches for phone-free parties. In 2024, he met Grant Besner, who also used a low-tech phone. They co-founded MO in early 2025, aiming for a different future where people use flip phones instead of being slaves to devices.
Building the Dumbphone Community
Participants reported deeply spiritual experiences and wanted to keep their flip phones. Hogenkamp realized dumb.co was becoming a phone company. The team, mostly anti-tech Gen Zers, began smartening up the dumbphones with essential apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Maps, and Uber.
Danielle Hirshberg, an early investor, believes women need basics like Uber and Maps for safety. Women make up about three-quarters of dumbphone users, average age 24. Dumb.co operates MO at a loss, hoping to eventually give away phones for free.
More than 1,000 active users pay $20 for the device and as low as $15 monthly for a plan. Lydia Peabody, chief dumb organizer, is open-sourcing MO materials so others can spread the gospel. Dumb.co avoids social media advertising; spikes in users come from viral news segments.
The Two-Device System
Dumb.co's model uses a two-phone, one-number system: messages and calls forward to the dumbphone, allowing users to leave their smartphone at home. The T9 keyboard is tiresome, but participants report forgetting to check their phones—a welcome change. They treat digital communication like a chore, limiting it to 30 minutes on a laptop.
Hogenkamp insists the retrofitted apps are those users need in a society organized on platforms. WhatsApp and iMessage may not be on Maslow's hierarchy, but love and belonging are. Dumb.co offers a third way between full abstinence and endless scrolling.
Future Ambitions
Hogenkamp predicts dumb.co will become the fourth largest phone company in America within five months, despite having only 1,000 users compared to Boost Mobile's 7.5 million. He remains undeterred, believing everyone knows deep down that constant smartphone use is not the way to spend their one human consciousness.
