It's not a very well-kept secret that dating apps are built on dark patterns.
Addictive swiping mechanics that resemble a slot machine. Proprietary recommendation algorithms designed to retain your viewership despite ignoring your "filters". Incessant pop-ups that hound you to buy "super likes" despite paying for an arguably-required subscription.
These are products designed not for you — they're designed for your engagement.
Show me the incentive and I'll show you the outcome. Charlie Munger
To build humane products (things built to serve, not to be served), we must align our incentives with those of our audience. When our success means our customers success, we can rest assured that our work is making a difference.
The most straight-forward approach is establishing objectives and key results that track a measurable positive outcome for your audience.
Some great examples:
- Success rate: did the person achieve their goal?
- Time to completion: how quickly did the person achieve their goal?
- Satisfaction: how happy is the person with the result?
Myself, I chose a fixed pricing model for Nörth that systematically unbinds revenue from engagement. Instead of trying to keep people stuck to their screens, I'm simply encouraged to build and design the highest-quality experience I can from the start.
"Engagement" be damned.