Mark Manson · December 12, 2025

Purpose, the Untold Story

Glance

Manson recounts how a chance meeting at a poker table with a serial AI founder named Raj led the two of them to spend a year building Purpose, an AI growth-coaching app they are now launching.

Meaning

Manson tells the origin story of Purpose, the AI coaching app he is launching. He describes meeting Raj, an experienced AI founder, at a poker table just as Manson's own attempt to buy an AI company had collapsed and Raj was searching for a project in AI and mental health. Their conversations stretched from one-hour lunches into entire afternoons as they discussed the failures of the mental health and self-help markets and what AI could actually do for personalized guidance. Twelve months later they are releasing Purpose, an AI coach built on behavioral science that learns a person's patterns and offers small actions to build momentum across their life.

The author, in their own words

On a random night last January, I sat down next to a guy at a poker table. A month later, we decided to start a company together. Little did I know, it would completely change my life.

The guy’s name was Raj. We started talking between hands, and Raj asked what I was working on.

“I’ve been trying to solve this scaling problem in personal growth,” I told him. “I was about to buy an AI company to do it, but the deal just fell through.”

“That’s funny,” Raj said. “I’ve been building AI companies for ten years. Just exited my last one. I’ve spent a year on sabbatical figuring out what’s next.”

I asked him what he landed on.

“Whatever I build next has to be in AI and mental health. Or AI and personal growth. I want to work on something that actually helps people at scale.”

I don’t believe in all that “the universe has a plan for you” crap, but this was like… whoa.

Raj and I kept talking. Over the next few weeks, we’d meet for what we thought would be one-hour lunches. Every time, we’d look up and it would be 4:30 in the afternoon.

We talked about the limitations of the mental health system, about the screwed up self-help market, about what AI could actually do—not replace human connection, but make real, personalized guidance available to people who need it.

After a month, we looked at each other and said: “This needs to exist. Let’s build it.”

Twelve months later, we’re launching Purpose.

Purpose is an AI coach powered by behavioral science that learns your patterns, helps you reflect, and gives you direction—on demand.

Whether you want to advance your career, improve your relationships, or unpack why you keep losing all your damn money at the poker table, Purpose learns about you, and gives you tiny actions to build momentum across your entire life.

So, yeah. The next phase of my career started with a meet cute with a guy at a poker table.

And I’m hoping it ends by helping millions of people find out who they actually are. Starting with you. Right now. For free.

Key Passages

On a random night last January, I sat down next to a guy at a poker table. A month later, we decided to start a company together. Little did I know, it would completely change my life.

I don’t believe in all that “the universe has a plan for you” crap, but this was like… whoa.

We talked about the limitations of the mental health system, about the screwed up self-help market, about what AI could actually do—not replace human connection, but make real, personalized guidance available to people who need it.