Who we are
A few honest answers about what we're doing.
We think a listening project should be easy to understand. Here's who we are, why we exist, and exactly how your words are handled — in plain language.
About us
- What is The Listening Project?
- We're a non-partisan listening initiative. We hold short, warm, one-on-one conversations with everyday Americans — guided by a curious AI moderator — to understand how people actually live and how they really feel about the things that shape their lives. We then turn thousands of those conversations into an honest, representative picture of the country.
- Are you really non-partisan?
- Yes — and it's the single thing we care most about protecting. Our moderator never shares a political opinion, never corrects or debates your views, never leads you, and never rewards one answer over another. The moment we read as having a side, the listening becomes worthless. Neutrality is a hard product requirement for us, not a slogan.
- Are you connected to a party, campaign, or candidate?
- No. We are not affiliated with any party, campaign, candidate, or advocacy group, and we never share identifiable data with them. We're being built as an independent, non-partisan effort, and we publish who funds and governs us — a listening project that is itself opaque would be a contradiction.
- How are you funded, and who's behind it?
- We're standing this up now and intend to operate it as an independent non-profit with a non-partisan funding base and a bipartisan advisory board. We'll publish our funders and our methodology as that comes together. If you'd like to know more in the meantime, just reach out.
Why we exist
- Why does this need to exist?
- It's genuinely hard right now to know how Americans live and what they think — the reality, not the caricature. Polls flatten people into checkboxes, social media rewards the loudest few, news reports conflict because conflict travels, and focus groups are tiny. The result is a country that guesses about itself, often uncharitably. What's been missing is breadth of genuine listening, and that's the thing that recently became possible.
- What will you do with what you learn?
- Across many conversations, we build a faithful map of the range of American experience — the dominant views and the quiet minority ones, held side by side, never averaged into something that erases people. Over time that supports public-interest research and reporting, always released with our methodology attached. We never fabricate poll-like precision from qualitative conversations.
- Are you trying to change my mind?
- No. We're not in the persuasion or debate business at all. We change no one's mind — we find out what's already there. Our focus is understanding people, not improving them.
The conversation
- Is it really an AI I'm talking to?
- Yes, and you'll always know that up front. The moderator is a warm, curious AI designed to listen well — it opens gently, reflects what you say, and follows your lead toward the why behind your views, without ever pushing.
- How long does it take, and do I need to prepare?
- About 10 minutes, and never longer — whenever and wherever suits you. There's nothing to prepare and nothing to read first — it's a conversation, not a test.
- What will it ask me about?
- It starts simply — often something like where you live and what your days look like lately — and goes wherever you take it. There's no fixed questionnaire; the point is to follow your thread, in your own words.
Your words & your data
- Am I recorded, and do I have a say?
- You're recorded only after you plainly consent, and the consent is real and revocable. You always know you're being recorded and exactly how your words will and won't be used.
- What happens to what I say?
- Before your conversation is studied, it's de-identified — names, precise locations, employers, and anything else that could point back to you are stripped out. Our analysis works on themes, not on people.
- Will you sell my data or share my politics?
- Never. We don't sell individual data, and we never hand identifiable information to campaigns, advertisers, or anyone else. Political opinion is sensitive, and we treat it that way — with consent, retention limits, deletion on request, and real access controls.
- Can I change my mind later?
- Yes. If you'd like your conversation deleted, just email us at jon@trypulseiq.com and we'll take care of it.
Taking part
- How were people chosen?
- Conversations happen by personal invitation, through partners and people who can help us reach a genuine spread of Americans. Representativeness — the range of who we talk to — matters more to us than sheer volume, so invitations are deliberate.
- Can anyone join?
- For now, participation is by invitation. If you were sent a personal link or message, that's your way in. If you're curious about taking part or partnering with us, we'd love to hear from you — reach out any time.
Still have a question?
We'd genuinely like to hear it. Email us and a real person will answer.