Why I built Roots.
Every year for as long as I can remember — going back to the 1950s — my grandpa made a photo album.
One album for every single year.
Growing up, I could pull any of them off the shelf and watch my family’s story unfold through his eyes: the weddings and the road trips, the ordinary afternoons, the births of children and grandchildren, the people I came from.
My own family is spread across the world now.
- My wife and I, and my parents — the West Coast
- My brother and his family — the East Coast
- My sister and hers — London
Our closest friends and extended family are scattered, too. We’re all a text or phone call away, but it’s impossible to keep up with everyone that’s meaningful in your life to the extent that you would like to.
Part of the challenge to stay in touch is the distance and time zones, for sure.
But an overwhelming factor is the distraction introduced by the endless feeds and notifications, which flood your mind with noise.
The desire to be free of the noise, and to stay in rhythm with my family’s collective past and present, drove me to build one private, quiet home for everything that was meaningful to me.
Roots is designed to be a mirror to reflect your life back to you: family memories, the passing of the seasons, the milestones of nieces and nephews, weekend trips with friends.
Similar to the yearly photo albums, but alive, and instantly sharable with friends and family on your own terms.
No ads. No algorithm. No noise. No one harvesting the data. No one using the images to help train the latest AI model.
Time moves quickly, and it’s easy to feel like your life is rushing by you when you’re as busy and distracted as we all are.
Attention is a fundamental aspect of love, and we hope Roots gives you the chance to pay close attention to the moments you care most about, and hold onto them forever.
— Luke
Founder, Roots