Constant Alerts vs. Intentional Engagement

Thursday and BeReal got us thinking...

Welcome to Product Spotlight 🥇. In this section, we shine the Spotlight on products that are taking things up a notch - be it reducing friction, designing killer onboardings, using novel acquisition methods...the list is endless 😄.

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It’s easy to add to the digital noise with more notifications, more emails and hope that something sticks. But what if the secret to stickiness was doing less?

Take Thursday, for example.

No, not the day of the week—this is the dating app that isn’t interested in bombarding users with notifications.

Instead, it hands you one dedicated window each day—your very own “golden hour” for dating. When that time slot opens, you’re not just aimlessly swiping 👈/👉; you’re stepping into a focused moment designed for genuine connections.

Missed your chance today? No worries—another week brings another opportunity but not without the FOMO from the previous week.

Now, let’s swing over to BeReal.

Once a day, at a random moment, this social app sends out a single push notification that gives you just 2 minutes to capture an unfiltered snapshot of your life.

Aimed squarely at an audience fed up 😤 with the perfectionist, algorithm-driven loops of platforms like Instagram and TikTok, BeReal intentionally sets the bar low—no fancy edits, no overthinking—just a quick, authentic share.

Their App Store description even cheekily warns potential users, “If you want to become an influencer, you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.”

That one daily nudge is designed to encourage users to act swiftly and share genuine moments without the pressure of perfection.

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Thursday instils scarcity and BeReal instils urgency via how their product operates, keep the emotional bar low, make it easy for users to engage and, over time, form a habit users won’t want to break.

💡 Instead of relying on constant, passive engagements that create noise but rarely convert, think about how you can create intentional, high-impact moments.

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That’s it for this Spotlight. Thanks for joining us!

And while you’re here, remember, there are only 3 rules to life:

1. Be kind to everyone you meet

2. Don’t take yourself too seriously

3. Drink lots of water

See you back soon!

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