About
Built by Alethera.
For people who buy with intention.
What Stays
What Stays is a discernment engine. It does not sell products. It does not have sponsors. It does not analyze who you are or retain personal meaning. It asks you eight questions and returns honest recommendations — nothing more.
Every recommendation is editorially chosen based on durability, honest value, and long-term usefulness. When links go to retailers, they go directly — no hidden tracking, no inflated suggestions to increase commission. The goal is to help you buy less, but better.
The name comes from a simple question: after everything passes through your life, what actually stays? The answer is almost always fewer things, chosen more carefully.
Alethera
Alethera is the company behind What Stays. The name comes from the Greek word for truth — aletheia — the kind that is not argued for but simply uncovered. That is the operating principle behind everything we build.
We build tools that serve the user's best interest at the highest level of trust — the kind of trust you extend to a close friend who happens to know exactly what you need. Not a salesperson. Not an algorithm optimizing for engagement. A trusted advisor who tells you the truth even when the truth is "you don't need this."
What Stays is the first public expression of that mission.
Aeona
Coming — the full discernment layer
What Stays is the foundation. Aeona is what it becomes.
Aeona is a personal intelligence layer that learns who you are — your values, your rhythms, your genuine needs — and actively assists in the decisions that matter. Not just what to buy, but when, from whom, and whether to buy at all.
The vision is a trusted best friend who has your credit card — and uses it only when it genuinely serves you. Aeona operates with explicit authorization limits set by you, full transparency into every action taken on your behalf, and a permanent right to revoke access at any time.
Everything built into What Stays today — the soul file, the preference memory, the replenishment list — is the data foundation Aeona will build on. Your preferences belong to you. They always will.
What we commit to
No ads. Ever.
What Stays has no advertising. No brand pays for placement. No product is recommended because it generates higher commission. Recommendations are editorial — chosen for quality, durability, and honest value.
Your data stays on your device.
Your preference memory (the soul file) is stored encrypted on your device only. It is never transmitted to our servers unless you explicitly sign in and choose to sync. You can view everything stored, and delete it permanently at any time.
Affiliate relationships are disclosed.
What Stays is working toward affiliate relationships with Amazon, REI, Patagonia, Cars.com, RV Trader, and others. When those relationships are active, they will be disclosed on every relevant page. At launch, all links are editorial — we receive no commission from any purchase.
Honest recommendations, not optimized ones.
The scoring engine matches your answers to archetypes based on genuine fit. It does not weight results toward higher-margin products. The best recommendation is the one that serves you longest — even if it costs less.
You can always leave.
There is no lock-in. Export your wishlist, delete your soul file, and walk away. We will never make it difficult to go.
Get in touch
Questions, partnership inquiries, or feedback — we read everything.