Social & Community
gonowhere
3 February 2026
What if your next casual walk could become a mini-adventure, starting right where you are?
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The Problem
Singaporeans are creatures of habit when it comes to walking. Office workers take the same post-lunch route around the block. Residents stick to familiar paths between home and the MRT. We default to what we know, missing countless hidden gems that exist just steps from our daily routines.
The irony? Many Singaporeans complain that "Singapore is so boring" yet how many have truly explored the paths in their own backyards? How many have discovered the interesting places that don't make it onto travel blogs or tourist websites? We're surrounded by discovery opportunities, but our walking routines keep us from experiencing them.
Singapore has so much to offer beyond Marina Bay Sands and Orchard Road. Every neighbourhood holds stories, architecture, green spaces, and local spots waiting to be discovered. The challenge isn't a lack of interesting places. It's breaking out of our familiar patterns to find them. Your next refreshing walk shouldn't require extensive planning or travelling across the island. It should start right where you are.
What's the current alternative
Fitness apps like Strava and AllTrails
These platforms are designed for serious runners and cycling enthusiasts, not casual walkers seeking a refreshing break. Routes are crowdsourced, so if your neighbourhood hasn't been "discovered" by fitness enthusiasts, you're out of luck. Even when routes exist, they're typically longer distances meant for serious exercise rather than a relaxing 20-30 minute stroll. Most importantly, they treat walking as pure exercise. You won't learn anything interesting about the places you pass along the way.
Travel blogs and websites
Singapore's travel content focuses on the same "main attractions" which is great for tourists, but locals have already been to Gardens by the Bay. These recommendations aren't personalised to your current location and rarely offer routes that fit your available time. Getting from Marina Bay to Chinatown to Little India requires planning, transport, and a full afternoon. Not exactly what you need for a quick lunch break walk.
Random exploration
Without guidance, most people don't know where to start. You might wander aimlessly, end up at a dead end, and retrace your steps seeing the same things twice. It's hit or miss. You could stumble upon something wonderful, or spend 30 minutes walking through carparks and construction sites. The uncertainty makes it hard to commit when you only have limited time.
Our Solution: gonowhere
You start and end at the same spot, but your walk will never be the same.
Gonowhere creates personalised walking routes that turn your familiar neighbourhood into an adventure waiting to happen. Simply input your current location and a few preferences (whether you want more greenery or culture, if you'd like a coffee stop along the way, and how much time you have). Within seconds, you'll get up to 5 curated routes to choose from, each offering a completely different experience.
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What makes GoNowhere different
Truly personalised
Routes adapt to your location, time constraints, and mood. Want nature today but culture tomorrow? We've got you covered.
Discovery focused
Every route includes interesting stops with rich information about places you've walked past but never really noticed. From historical landmarks to hidden food gems.
Location based
Start and end at the same point, perfect for lunch breaks or casual strolls without transport planning.
Local storytelling
Learn fascinating facts about Singapore's history, architecture, and culture as you walk, turning every route into an educational mini-adventure.
Whether you're discovering a heritage shophouse that's been there for decades, finding your new favourite local coffee spot, or learning about the historical significance of a park you've passed countless times, gonowhere transforms routine walks into meaningful exploration.
Research and Approach
We started with competitive analysis to understand existing gaps, then quickly built and tested a prototype within the first week to validate our hypothesis with target users. Our approach was iterative: test fast, learn quickly, pivot when needed.
Key insights that shaped gonowhere:
It's about the places, not just the path
After our first round of testing with 5 users, we discovered something unexpected. Most users were spending too much time staring at their phones, trying to follow the exact route instead of enjoying the walk itself. However, when they did look up, they became genuinely curious about the interesting places they encountered. They cared less about following a "perfect route" and more about understanding what made each stop special. This insight shifted our focus from complex route optimisation to curating rich, engaging information about points of interest that would encourage users to look up from their phones and engage with their surroundings.
Loops aren't always better
Our initial hypothesis was that loop routes would be more interesting since users wouldn't retrace their steps. However, forcing everything into a loop often created illogical paths and repetitive, boring points of interest. We learned that a good linear route with fascinating stops beats a contrived loop with mediocre ones. Sometimes the best discoveries require walking back, and that's perfectly fine.
Data accuracy is crucial for trust
We initially pulled information from internet sources and Google Maps, but users quickly lost confidence when they encountered closed venues or incorrect opening hours. This taught us that discovery tools need impeccable data quality. One disappointing experience can undermine the entire concept. We invested heavily in data cleaning and taught our model to prioritise accuracy and recency of information.
Weekly iteration cycles work
Every week, we focused on a specific theme, whether improving POI quality, refining route logic, or enhancing user interface. We also tested with 11 users continuously as we iterated. This rapid iteration cycle, combined with continuous user feedback, allowed us to build a robust MVP within just one month while staying responsive to real user needs.
Impact & Vision
Current Impact:
Gonowhere is turning boring Tuesday lunch walks into "wait, how did I never notice this place?!" moments. From our second round of testing with 4 users, 3 mentioned that they would be keen to use it again. Users are discovering that their usual coffee runs and weekend strolls can actually be pretty exciting when you know what to look for.
During demo week we had 254 visitors, and on demo day, we generated 665 routes for users to explore.
It also costs less than $1 a day to maintain.
I will totally use it to bring my friends to walk around!— Tanya
This is great when I'm bored and would want to wander around— Andrew
Our Vision:
We want every Singaporean to become a tourist in their own neighbourhood (but without the fanny pack).
Imagine a Singapore where your lunch break becomes the highlight of your day instead of just lunch.
Where you actually have interesting stories to tell when friends ask "anything new?"
Where you turn into that friend who always has interesting facts about random buildings.
Where your evening walks turn into mini treasure hunts.
Where you finally have good answers when visitors ask "what's cool around here?"
The Bigger Picture:
Look, we're not trying to solve world peace here. We just think walking around shouldn't be boring! Singapore is packed with quirky stories, hidden gems, and fascinating characters, but most of us are too busy staring at our phones to notice.
Gonowhere is like having that friend who always knows the cool spots, except this friend actually knows what they're talking about and won't make you walk 2km for "the best laksa ever" that turns out to be mediocre.
What's Next:
Ready to become the neighbourhood explorer you never knew you wanted to be?
Give Gonowhere a try and prepare to become insufferably knowledgeable about your area.
Your friends will either love you or avoid asking about your weekend walks. We're betting on love!
Meet the team
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