The afternoon we decided to let people search like humans
Three weeks before Findr launched, a photographer named Maya sent us a message that changed how we thought about search. She'd been testing the beta and wrote: 'I know what I need, but your filters keep making me pick from categories I don't understand. Why can't I just tell you what I'm looking for?'
The filter problem nobody wanted to admit
We'd built Findr as a marketplace for unique spaces - studios, halls, meeting rooms, photography venues, event spaces. The filtering system looked solid on paper: location, size, hourly rate, amenities. Clean. Logical. And completely missing the point of how people actually hunt for space.
Most of our early users weren't searching for 'a 200 sq ft room with WiFi in Zone 2.' They were looking for 'somewhere to shoot a lookbook that feels bright and minimal' or 'a quiet corner where my team can brainstorm without sounding like we're in a shopping centre.' The language people used to describe their need didn't map onto our dropdown menus.
We watched the session recordings. Users would search, refine, get frustrated, then type their actual requirement into the message field when requesting a booking. The answer to their problem was already there. We just weren't listening.
Why we built it into the Plus tier, not the free version
Natural-language search wasn't a feature we bolted on because it sounded modern. It was a direct response to how our users actually worked. When you type 'somewhere with exposed brick and north-facing light,' you're not being casual - you're being specific about something that matters to your work. That clarity deserves a proper tool.
We made it a Plus-tier feature because it requires different infrastructure, and because it serves a real distinction: users who invest in a subscription are usually booking regularly enough to benefit from smarter search. The Plus tier also includes advanced filters, so you get both approaches. Some people want to dial in parameters. Others want to describe their day and let the system show them what fits.
The free tier gives you 3 booking requests a month and basic search. That's plenty if you're occasional. If you're booking studio time weekly, or hunting for event spaces regularly, Plus makes the process less friction.
What we learned by actually listening to search queries
The moment we turned on natural-language search for early Plus users, the message traffic changed. People stopped opening support tickets asking 'does this space have air conditioning?' Instead, they'd search 'warm studio with heating' and find it themselves. They'd refine with follow-ups like 'near Shoreditch with parking for a shoot.'
We noticed patterns. Photographers described light quality and wall finishes. Entrepreneurs wanted 'professional but flexible' spaces where they could host client calls and team meetings in the same afternoon. Event planners thought in numbers and layout, but also in feeling - 'elegant but not stuffy.'
These weren't just better queries. They were revealing what people actually valued. A host listing a 150 sq m space as 'multi-purpose' was getting lost. The same space described by a user as 'industrial with good ceiling height' connected instantly with the right host.
The tension between free and paid search
We get asked why natural-language search isn't in the free tier. The honest answer is: it would be unsustainable for us, and it would compromise the quality of results. This search method costs more to run than traditional filtering. If we offered it free, we'd either have to ration it heavily or keep it so limited that it frustrated users.
By placing it in Plus, we're saying: if you value convenience and speed when booking space, this tier is made for you. We also added advanced filters in Plus so you get both tools - natural language and traditional search - in one place. Pro tier adds Instant Book on supported venues, which closes the loop entirely: search, find, and reserve without back-and-forth messaging.
Free users still get to browse every space and make 3 booking requests a month. That's genuinely useful for occasional bookers. But if you're someone who needs to move fast, or you book frequently, Plus removes the friction of template search.
Building for real renters, not an imaginary perfect user
One of the things that defined Findr from the start is that we built it for our actual users, not for an abstract 'ideal renter.' We watch how people behave. We read their messages. We pay attention when they describe their frustration or their need in their own words.
Maya's message - 'Why can't I just tell you what I'm looking for?' - was the simplest version of a much bigger insight. People don't think in features. They think in outcomes. They don't want advanced filters that make them feel clever. They want to walk into a space tomorrow and have it be right for their work.
Natural-language search is our attempt to close that gap between what people need and how they describe it. It's not perfect, and it never will be. But it's built on listening, not on what we thought a venue marketplace 'should' have.
When you're booking space, are you searching for what you want, or are you searching for what you think the system expects you to ask for?