tl;dr
This article is about what I think will be the future of human-tech interaction.
By mission, I mean a task, objective, or goal. You get a notification to do something, you jump in, do it, and jump out. Early BeReal is a great example of a mission-based product.
Two main components:
The company should own the entire interaction from start to finish
When there’s nothing to do, there’s nothing to do. No more endlessly scrolling.
Intro
Until now, companies wanted you to endlessly scroll, because you are the product, and your time = their $. It’s about the relationship you have with that company or creator, it’s that person wanting you to have a better life, not endlessly scrolling. Now let’s jump into it.
Mission-based interactions build lasting companies.
Nothing clears fog like a deathbed, which is why it’s then that people can always see with more clarity what they should have done differently — I wish I had spent less time working; I wish I had communicated with my wife more; I wish I had traveled more; etc.
- Tim Urban
Read from any source you’d like, the conclusions are always the same: Spend time doing things that matter. Nowhere does it say to watch one more episode or scroll IG a little longer.
If you build a mission-based product, you’re not stealing people’s time, you're giving it back. The little time you spend with your customers/users is full of intention, and the time spent apart is an important part of the relationship & experience.
You build a lasting company by nurturing healthy relationships.
Focus on your relationship with your users
By respecting someone’s time you’re on your way to creating a beautiful relationship.
A sustainable business model aligns your company with your user/customer, not one which seeks maximum usage from them.
Put your company in perspective and understand that more than a customer or user, they are a parent, a son or daughter, a friend, an Angel City FC fan ;), an artist, a travel aficionado, or anything else.
The future of products will rely on responsiveness, not usage. If your product helps them be happier and get closer to where they want to go, then just ping them when needed and they’ll respond happily (and quickly).
Own the interaction
Owning the entire interaction is a byproduct of a mission-based platform. It’s also a common thread amongst quality experiences.
It means that you control when, and how often your users are notified. Via your relationship, you indirectly control how quickly they interact, and since users can’t endlessly scroll anything, you control when the interaction is over.
Whenever people feel they need to ‘detox’ from a product or app, that’s a good signal that they don’t care about creating a healthy relationship.
Let’s think about a Mr. Beast video. Mr. Beast ends your experience almost every time. You’re often left wanting more.
Instagram on the other hand, doesn’t want you to leave, and notifies you to open the app constantly.
It’s only after you say “I’ve been on this platform too long” when you finally close the app. You “control” the end, they don’t. That’s good for them if the product is addicting. It’s bad for you if you care about your time.
Metrics
If usage (time on the platform) isn’t the most important indicator, what is? Responsiveness.
Responsiveness is how quickly people interact with what you produce (ex. your product) when given the opportunity to.
Responsiveness is also a function of many variables, including your relationship and your customer's perceived value. They’ll only interact with something if they believe it to be more valuable than its cost of consumption (i.e. watching a video, clicking a link, etc).
Relationships are hard to measure, but starting with responsiveness is the right approach.
Examples:
Atoms. Every time Atoms sends me an email or launches a marketing drop, it’s high quality, relevant, and I’m excited from start to finish. A great example of this is their latest drop with Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) → View here.
BeReal optimized for responsiveness early on and had amazing growth and relationship with users. Things changed, but they pioneered something important.
Shrug Capital. Every email, dm, or text they send is extremely relevant. They’re considerate of others’ time and only reach out if they know you’ll love what they’re sharing.
Diary of a CEO. Their focus is quality. Steven and the amazing team only interview specific guests for particular reasons. From a listener’s perspective, it’s as if the episode you’re listening to is the only one they could ever film, all their resources and time seems to go into each episode… every time.
Apple. Like it or not, their big keynotes and releases make you tune in. It’s possible that in the past few years, people have said that the updates aren’t as big as they used to be, but they host very few events, and people tune in.
Mr. Beast and Reed Duchscher are masters of creating relationships with their viewers, customers, and users. Every video is truly fantastic, and they don’t spam you with emails, or short crappy videos. They manage the entire experience from the first click to the last second. Many YouTubers make many videos, on a lower budget and try to maximize your time on screen. Mr. Beast blows through 10M and leaves you wanting the video to be longer.
Conclusion
If you want to build a lasting business, prioritize your relationship with your customers and align your business model with their success.
Build with this in mind. Own the entire interaction. Respect their time and focus on responsiveness as your main KPI.
By building a quality product and respecting your customers, you create strong, lasting relationships and a sustainable business.