Perfectly Imperfect (platform)

Perfectly Imperfect
Founded2020
URLwww.pi.fyi

Perfectly Imperfect is an online newsletter and social media platform.[1][2][3] It was initially founded in 2020 as a biweekly email newsletter that focused on recommendations.[4] In January 2024, Perfectly Imperfect launched PI.FYI, a social media platform. The platform is based around sharing recommendations. Its main feed is presented in reverse chronological order and is not algorithmically curated.[5][6]

History

Perfectly Imperfect was started during the COVID-19 pandemic by Tyler Bainbridge, alongside college friends Alex Cushing and Serey Morm, whom he met at UMass Lowell; Morm later departed.[5] Motivated by a dissatisfaction with algorithm-driven recommendation culture, they launched on Substack in September 2020.[7] Its early newsletter format, PI, published brief recommendation lists and personal notes from contributors.[8] Contributors have included a mix of underground artists and more established creative figures, such as Charli XCX, Chloe Cherry, Chloe Wise, and Meetka Otto.[9][10] In October 2024, PI announced it was leaving Substack to launch its own site.[8]

Overview

The current platform, PI.FYI, features both editorial content (guest columns, long-form essays, staff picks) and user-generated recommendations. The platform also supports "Ask" posts, where users can solicit recommendations from the community, and allows commenting, liking, and profile customization.[6] In August 2025, it launched an events feature.[11] In 2022, Perfectly Imperfect hosted their first offline event at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn, with a performance by The Dare.[12]

References

  1. ^ Cai, Delia (January 28, 2022). "Perfectly Imperfect and the Growing Currency of the Personal Recommendation". Vanity Fair.
  2. ^ Waite, Thom (October 1, 2025). "Anti-slop: what if social media actually delivered on its promises?". Dazed.
  3. ^ Capulong, Izzy (February 6, 2024). "Perfectly Imperfect Wants to Know What You're Into". Office Magazine.
  4. ^ Song, Sandra (October 2, 2024). "Viral recommendation newsletter Perfectly Imperfect is free from the algorithm". The FADER.
  5. ^ a b Bernstein, Joseph (January 21, 2024). "Can Everyone Be a Tastemaker?". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b Nguyen, Kevin (January 29, 2024). "Perfectly Imperfect launches an earnest, anti-algorithm social network". The Verge.
  7. ^ "It's cool to be awkward". The Face. September 18, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Chayka, Kyle (October 30, 2024). "The Banality of Online Recommendation Culture". The New Yorker – via www.newyorker.com.
  9. ^ "Viral recommendation newsletter Perfectly Imperfect is free from the algorithm". The FADER.
  10. ^ "What the 'Cool Kids' Are Super into (Published 2022)". The New York Times. 25 October 2022.
  11. ^ Bradley, Sydney. "This startup is trying to reinvent the magazine for the social-media era". Business Insider.
  12. ^ Hawgood, Alex (2022-10-25). "What the 'Cool Kids' Are Super Into (Published 2022)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
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