How Nadia Odunayo Built The Storygraph, The App For Book Lovers

When Nadia Odunayo sat down in January 2019, she had a choice to make: pursue her idea for a running app or dive into her passion for books. 

She chose the latter, and what started as a side project quickly evolved into The Storygraph, a community-driven social cataloguing web platform for books.

With Amazon-owned Goodreads dominating the market, The Storygraph has become a refreshing favorite for readers looking for a more personalized experience.

Revolutionizing Reading With The StoryGraph

Odunayo, a Black British engineer and entrepreneur, built The Storygraph to offer features like custom reading lists, detailed progress tracking, and tailored book recommendations. 

“I wanted to create lists—private or shared—and track my progress on a pretty dashboard,” Odunayo told POCIT.

While studying at Oxford, Odunayo co-founded a digital short story publication, realizing she preferred building impactful projects over corporate life. 

Now CEO and web developer of The StoryGraph, she leads the platform alongside senior engineer Frelow, advancing its tech and machine learning capabilities.

Surviving Success: Spikes, Crashes, and Community

The Storygraph’s first major moment came in 2020, following a surge in support for Black creators after George Floyd’s murder. Tweets spotlighting the app went viral, bringing thousands of new users but also a stress test for Odunayo. 

“That was the biggest spike, and it was the most stressful one. I had to rewrite a lot of the app,” she reflects, describing the sleepless nights spent keeping the platform online.

Since then, The Storygraph has faced similar waves of popularity fueled by viral TikToks and YouTube videos, receiving attention from major platforms such as The Bookseller and even the front page of the UK App Store.

In January 2024, the app was so popular that the large number of new signups caused their servers to crash. It was back up and running within a few hours.

Odunayo credits her resilience to her small, committed team and a user base that passionately evangelizes the app: “When I see people adore it as it is—knowing how much more I want to build—that’s a huge motivator.”

The Journey of a Black British Founder

Odunayo’s experience as a Black British entrepreneur is bittersweet. 

She has funded The StoryGraph through bootstrapping and has now expanded revenue streams with the successful launch of the Plus Plan.

This premium subscription offers users advanced features like deep insights and personalized recommendations, fueling the platform’s growth while enhancing the reading experience for its dedicated community.

While The Storygraph has garnered attention, much of it stems from being a Black woman in tech—something she views with mixed emotions.

“I want people to use my product because they love it, not just because of how I look,” she shared. 

At the same time, she cherishes moments when Black readers are inspired by her success.

Books for POC in Tech: Nadia’s Holiday Picks

For professionals of color in tech looking for compelling holiday reads, Odunayo recommends narrative non-fiction packed with lessons, drama, and inspiration:

• Bad Blood by John Carreyrou: A look at Theranos and how not to run a company.
• Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton: A story about the social media giant’s chaotic rise.
• The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder: A classic tale of tech innovation in the 1980s, proving some things never change.

What’s Next for The Storygraph?

As for the future, The Storygraph has big plans. Odunayo is enhancing the app’s interface, improving speed, and doubling down on community features to make it easier for users to connect. 

“One of the main things we’re addressing is that it’s still hard for users to find friends on the app,” she says. “We want to take our community to the next level.”

Odunayo remains committed to evolving The Storygraph for its growing base of readers, encouraging those who’ve tried the app in the past to give it another look.

“We’re always improving. If you tried it two or three years ago, try again—you’ll see a huge difference. We’re nowhere near done. Keep checking in.”

Feature Image Credit: Nadia Odunayo