Jason Winkler and the Shift From Social Media to Social Alignment

At a time when most social platforms are optimized for attention, scrolling, and performance, Jason Winkler believes the next era of technology will be built around something far more meaningful: alignment.

As the founder of RTHMS, Winkler is building what he describes as “the compatibility layer for modern life”, a platform designed to help people discover not just other people, but places, products, experiences, and communities that genuinely fit how they live.

“We were taught social media helps you find people,” Winkler says. “But most platforms really help you find attention. RTHMS is about helping people find alignment.”

That philosophy sits at the center of RTHMS, a fast-growing platform designed to understand how people actually live, helping users discover more authentic compatibility through lifestyle patterns, habits, and behavior. Instead of asking people to perform for algorithms, the platform focuses on understanding routines, interests, wellness patterns, movement, entertainment preferences, and lifestyle rhythms to create more meaningful recommendations and connections.

Photo credit: RTHMS

But Winkler believes RTHMS is building something much bigger than social media.

He sees RTHMS evolving into a daily operating layer that simplifies life itself,  helping users discover compatible friendships, communities, wellness experiences, restaurants, events, travel destinations, products, and eventually even neighborhoods and cities that align with their lifestyles.

“We spend an enormous amount of time making decisions every day,” he explains. “Where should I go? What should I do? Who should I spend time with? What brands fit me? RTHMS is building a future where technology understands your lifestyle well enough to make those decisions easier and more personalized.”

The concept comes at a time when consumers are increasingly overwhelmed by digital noise, algorithms, and endless options. Winkler believes the future belongs to platforms that create relevance, not just reach.

“Your environment shapes your life,” he says. “The people around you influence your health, mindset, opportunities, habits, and even your longevity. We think compatibility is bigger than dating. It affects almost every decision people make.”

RTHMS is the result of Winkler’s years spent understanding culture, consumer behavior, and how people connect both online and in real life.

Long before launching consumer tech platforms, Winkler built his career through experiential marketing, entertainment, licensing, and brand development. In his early years, he became involved in live events, concerts, and cultural experiences that connected him with major artists, agencies, and entertainment executives. Those relationships eventually opened doors with companies including WME and helped expand his understanding of culture, influence, and consumer behavior at scale.

Winkler later became one of the founding partners behind Liquipel, the technology company known for pioneering liquid-repellent protection for consumer electronics. During its rise, Liquipel secured partnerships and retail distribution with major global brands and retailers, while Winkler helped drive strategic relationships and cultural partnerships with influential names including Pharrell Williams and Steve Aoki, helping establish him as a founder capable of bridging technology, branding, partnerships, and mainstream consumer adoption.

Over the years, he continued building businesses across licensing, wellness, entertainment, and consumer products, developing a reputation for understanding culture, identifying trends early, and creating strategic moments that quickly capture attention.

That ability became especially visible during the launch of RTHMS.

Rather than relying on traditional tech marketing, Winkler launched the beta during the first weekend of Coachella through integrations tied to major cultural events including Neon Carnival. The platform was designed to help attendees connect through compatibility before the event, interact during it, and continue relationships afterward — turning a live experience into an ongoing social ecosystem.

Shortly after, RTHMS hosted a creator house during Stagecoach featuring some of the most influential personalities on social media. But instead of building another influencer content house focused purely on views and promotion, the experience centered around real-world connection. Creators used RTHMS in real time to meet compatible people, participate in wellness-focused mornings, workouts, group activities, dinners, and experiences designed to build relationships that extended beyond the event itself.

Behind the scenes, Winkler has also assembled an impressive network of investors, advisors, operators, and product leaders around the company, including talent and leadership with backgrounds spanning entertainment, technology, consumer brands, and social platforms. The company’s growing development and product infrastructure includes team members and collaborators with experience from companies such as Meta and Adriul, helping position RTHMS at the intersection of culture, product innovation, and consumer technology.

Those experiences represented something larger than marketing.

“We wanted people to actually feel what alignment looks like in real life,” Winkler says. “Not just online interaction, but genuine chemistry between people, communities, and experiences.”

At its core, the mission behind RTHMS comes down to something deeply human.

Despite being more digitally connected than ever, millions of people still feel disconnected in their real lives,  overwhelmed by noise, endless options, surface-level interaction, and relationships that often lack genuine alignment.

He believes modern social platforms trained people to chase attention, while quietly pulling them further away from authentic community and meaningful connection.

RTHMS was built to change that.

Instead of optimizing for engagement alone, the platform is designed to help people find environments, experiences, and relationships that genuinely fit who they are and how they live.

“We live in a world where people are constantly surrounded by content, but still feel alone,” Winkler says. “The problem isn’t that people need more social media. They need better alignment, better people around them, better environments, better experiences, and a stronger sense of belonging.”

For Winkler, the future of technology should feel less overwhelming and more human.

“The next generation of technology won’t just understand what you click on,” he says. “It’ll understand how you live, and guide you toward the people, places, and experiences that naturally fit your life.”