The Connection Pivot
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
Early Instagram optimized for celebrity follows. Then they noticed users were posting into silence - because none of their actual friends were following them back.
Instagram treated every follow equally. Kim Kardashian or your college roommate - same weight. The algorithm pushed celebrities. Great for growth metrics, right?
Wrong. Retention would be strong for months, then suddenly dip. Why? 'People were revving up Instagram, following a bunch of people, following a lot of celebrities actually... and then when they actually went to make their first post, none of their friends were following them.'
Posting into an echo chamber. No likes, no comments, no one who actually cared.
The fix was prioritizing real connections in onboarding. Show your friends first. Build your actual community. The celebrities can come later. Result: retention doubled.
Kids get dazzled by parasocial relationships too. YouTube stars who feel like friends. Influencers they "know." But the real foundation is the kid down the street, the cousin they FaceTime, the actual playmates.
Build the real community first. 'That connection pivot was critical.'
PM Theme: Retention / engagement metrics
Parenting Theme: Building authentic relationships
“People were revving up Instagram, following a bunch of people, following a lot of celebrities actually... and then when they actually went to make their first post, a few months later, none of their friends were following them.”Bangaly Kaba · 01:17:15
“That connection pivot was critical. It changed... literally, angle-changed the retention on Instagram.”Bangaly Kaba · 01:19:11
