Building consumer social apps

In design, economics, featured, growth, product, strategy

2 Min Read

B

Based on Nikita Bier’s Twitter thread

In the world of consumer social, success often masquerades as luck. But behind every “overnight” sensation lies relentless iteration, psychological insight, and ruthless prioritization. The playbook –

🎾 Test Often. Test Fast.

The next big idea is overrated. The next 20 small experiments are underrated.
Success rarely comes from divine inspiration—it’s about reproducible tests with tight feedback loops.
Don’t let “inconclusive” results paralyze you. Fix your method, not your ambition.

👥 Start Narrow. Grow Broad.

Build for a niche group where social density is high—like a single high school or fandom.
If you can’t get one group hooked, you probably can’t get the world hooked.
Laser focus on one community makes PMF more measurable—and more achievable.

🔑 Distribution and Content > Everything Else

Users don’t come back for rounded corners or onboarding animations.
They come back because their friends are there, and the content matters.
Your app needs to be a net generator of content—not just a pretty container.

🕒 Embed Into Daily Life

People check their phones 100+ times a day. Meet them there.
Your product should be snackable—not demanding their undivided attention.
Avoid formats that require scheduling or full focus. They kill repeat usage.

🧠 Solve a Core Human Need

Every successful app is a vitamin or a painkiller for love, money, or play.
“Let’s hang out” is not a compelling use case. Hormones and status are.
The closer you are to primal motivation, the stickier you get.

🎯 Target Life Events and Obsessions

Transitional moments are gold mines: starting high school, a new job, moving cities.
Obsessive communities—K-pop stans, sneakerheads, coders—are irrationally engaged.
Find people who can’t shut up about their thing, and build something for them.

🚀 Design for Viral Loops. Be Bold.

A great product is a Trojan horse. Every session should trigger a ripple.
Think Tinder-level virality: 1 action leads to 7 new users.
Offending someone might mean you’re close to breaking through.

🧪 Launch Early. Learn Quickly.

Perfect is the enemy of scale. Ship it. Get real feedback.
External users are the only source of truth.
Avoid corporate partnerships in the beginning—they slow everything down.

🔍 Embrace Outliers. Trust Instincts.

The weirdest idea might be the winner. Lean into “this is crazy.”
Most advice—even from PMF-hitters—is context-bound.
The best founders build what feels true to them, even if it defies convention.