BeReal-ly unfortunate

Good morning, Happy Monday! Its been a while but I'm ready to write again. Lets get right into it.

If there's one company that blatantly screams "trend", the first name that might pop up is BeReal . The photo sharing app brewed a storm in the social media realm last year (despite its inception two years earlier). It was a slow climb, but at its height, the app was constantly charting at first place in the app store, garnering 53 million downloads in October 2022. It was no overnight success, that's for sure, but BeReal did get some things right that helped it claim its spot.

1. With other social media giants that have already cemented their places in our lives, BeReal identified a gap. Unlike other apps that provided a catered and scrupulously designed feed, the app was able to capitalize on providing customers the chance to share an "unfiltered" version of their lives, earning it the nickname "the anti-Instagram app". As quoted by company representatives, “We want to make people feel good about themselves and their lives. We want an alternative to addictive social networks fueling social comparison and portraying life with the goal of amassing influence.” It offered users the opportunity to be their authentic self, and not have an artificial perception of the purpose of social media.
2. It understood the benefits of a gamification. Yes, they weren't setting themselves apart from competition, but was most definitely taking a tip or two. Snapchat is an emblematic golden child in the social media sphere (though it too has lost its once revered position), with its gamified business model that effectively capitalized user's attention and ensured retention. Snapchat was able to innovate by introducing the Streaks feature (and then more additions of course), allowing users to share "streak scores" with every passing day of constantly snapping other users (kind of like Duolingo's daily streaks). BeReal created its own gamified output in a similar mannerism. In its core, the software would send push notification to users to take a snap at a certain sporadic time of the day saying "?? Time to BeReal ??" , and would allow a duration of two minutes to do so; no pre-planning. Users would hastily open the app and take the picture (no matter where they are), which immediately got meme-ified on Twitter (now called X). Without posting, users would not be able to see other user's posts, and if posted late, their post would be branded with "posted late".

The core tenet of BeReal was to create a place to connect with your friends; there was no place for advertisers or influencers. To emphasize this, BeReal's terms and conditions strictly prohibited the usage of the app for promotional and commercial aspects. This formed the app's appeal. It was different.

Withal, the traction did not last, and the app had slowly experienced a downfall. This is how BeReal lost its momentum.

1. Users have suggested that there is a certain extent of bossiness to the app. They do not like being subject to take pictures at times when they have no intention or capacity to take one. In other words, they feel like they are being "parented" by the app, and that it may feel more stressful rather than entertaining.
2. The app's active stance in blocking the feed until the user themselves post takes apart a central intention of users' social media interaction. The app ignores the fact that some users would rather not present the mundanities of their day, and would rather observe the on goings of others' lives.
3. Branding the "posted late", may have been effective in its immediate stages, but quickly lost its sentiment. Users were no longer worried about posting late, or posting at a time when something actually interesting was happening in their day. In essence, this radical shift in attitude stripped away the core objective of the app - authenticity. With the loss of its "authenticity", what else does the app have to offer? I'll give you a minute.

Many argue that the app's slowly but progressively experiencing an obvious downturn. User's main concern is that, if they were to post, who would be seeing it? The last three friends in their friend list?

Despite all this, representatives still strongly claim that they have a substantial daily user base (though other analytics companies have argued otherwise). For sure, the app still has a strong ethos that many can relate to, and find simultaneously captivating. So far, BeReal has been sustaining on seed investments, but it won't be long till investors would like to see attractive ROIs. So far there hasn't been any notable shift in its model, no monetization efforts, no innovative features (aside from that one bonus BeReal feature that it introduced in UK, which lets be frank is just a limited Instagram story).

BeReal was successful in positioning itself as unique compared to other social media giants, but lets be real (had to), things don't look so positive, and time is definitely running out (can't help myself). Heed the story of BeReal, its important to stay dynamic, identify your customer's needs, be prompt in identifying sustainable trends and most importantly, building a feasible revenue model.

I certainly appreciate the short lived escape that the app has provided last summer, it was fun, but I'm definitely not using it again.

?? A Little Tip

After four years of college, and around two years of professional work, I've come to realize how absolutely imperative it is to possess two key soft skills - team working and communication. These aren't filler texts for your resume so I'd be careful when actually writing it down; and if you're a professional or a student who has experienced the ensuing discomfort after having to confront your fellow teammates or are stuck in an unceasing loop of repeated discourse that sometimes stray far from the point, you know exactly what I mean.

So what can we do about it? Let's jot down a few talking points that can prove to be helpful.

Scenario 1: Your teammate is not doing sufficient work.

Its absolutely warranted to communicate your discontent with it. Let them know. "Hey, so it seems that some of the deliverables haven't been submitted as per the agreed upon time. Is there something wrong? How about we set up a meeting to discuss this matter?" Discuss your expectations and figure out how to best support one another.

Scenario 2: When someone needs lesser task and someone needs more task.

Be open to hearing other's concerns. If one of your teammates have a relatively overwhelming level of task, hear them out and figure out viable solutions accordingly. Flexibility is key here. If you're the designated team leader (formally or informally), delegate tasks fairly and make sure to word it in a manner that doesn't appear bullish (wouldn't want to appear sequestrated). You can say, "Hey guys, let us come up with a solution so that everyone gets a fair amount of responsibility in this task. Taking on too much might jeopardize our work. Why start by deciding on what can or cannot be done by each person?".

Scenario 3: Everything's working as you wanted it, so you should keep up the flow.

So everything's going perfectly well. You are content, and your teammates appear to have no problems with one another whatsoever. You're afraid that something unpredictable is in the horizon, and your team's workflow might be impeded. Remember, morale is important. The spirit of collaboration requires constant communication. Positive reaffirmations are necessary if you want your team members to know that their efforts are being duly recognized. Keep a constant check in on your teammates. Proffer a constant line of verbal gratitude towards your teammates. Nurturing an engaging and encouraging atmosphere will help smoothen any unseen inertia in your communication, and might even improve the quality and efficiency of your deliverable.

Scenario 4: Time's running out and some deliverables are left.

As mentioned previously, constant communication is irrefutably significant. Don't wait till the last minute to send a message and go like, "Hey, I see that some things are left, are we going to get it within the time period needed?". Some teammates might not be so direct, and might even refrain from sending you into a spiral, so do your due diligence and constantly check up on them. "Hey. Hope everything's going well on your side. If there's any concerns relating to the project, feel free to shoot me a message. We can arrange for a meeting, and solve any unresolved issues. Good luck!".

If you're the team member who needs to inform something. Please recognize that it is absolutely necessary for the success of both the team and you, that you communicate all your concerns to fellow team members. Don't be afraid to be perceived as incompetent and/ or disorganized. In the end of the day, everyone has a common objective to strive towards. To deliver.

--

I am, by no means, a veteran in social skills. I'm still learning and making mistakes along the way. Keeping these stashed in the corner of my brain has however, helped in profound ways.

Keep up the good work! (Positive affirmations ????)

?? In News

• China's shaky situation is making it difficult for foreigners to do business there.
• Discord's new move to rehabilitate rule violators.
• Women march to put an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence in Iceland, including the PM.
• Meta is being sued over its contribution to youth mental health crisis alleging that it has designed its social media platforms to keep younger users on them repeatedly and for long times.
• Bitcoin is experiencing a jump surging above $35,000 for the first time since May 2022.
• Court document reveals wild details of the off-duty pilot's attempt to turn off plane engines mid flight.

?? To read

• Be careful of the first job you take.
• The crypto thief .
• Tips to a long and content life from the 100 year-old-influencer .
• The ethics of space exploration and Cosmocentrism.
• An Entrepreneur's guide to Product Design .
• Th origins of the Long COVID brain fog .
• Golden rules for Organizational Structure .
• Interoperability - building a smart home.
• Even your printer can be hacked .
• Why the Internet isn't fun anymore.
• A guide to AI algorithms.
• Training an AI chatbot on a book.
• Managing the costs of a loyalty program .

Need to kill time?

• Population.io - Shows you a new perspective on population data - I will be the 5 billionth person in the world in 22nd September 2031.
• Need a book rec? Take a look at this interactive online library map that groups books that bear resemblance.
• Bored? Solve a jigsaw puzzle!

?? In tech

• EY is using AI to audit .
• Apple's big miss and what its plans are on getting on the AI train.
• Here are the best inventions of 2023 according to Times Magazine.
• Nightshade - A tool that disrupts generative AI tools from stealing Artist's work without consent.
• A jacket made out of bacteria, fungi and algae.
• Bobby Bryant on creating the Amazon of Real-Estate.
• Performance on a plate .
• The world's first-ever dual processing system hearing aid.
• Neural net surpasses Chat-GPT, bearing human like ability to generalize language.

In Business

• A Reliance-Disney deal is in the process.
• Uber's prepared to add Hot Air Balloons in Turkey.
• Skims expand its line to men's.
• X is testing Three Tiers of its Premium services.
• Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Diaper Startup Hello Bello files for bankruptcy and what it says about the Digital Ad Market .
• Instagram to test out a new "Nearby " feature.

??? People

• Britney Spears on her memoir - "No More Lies"
• Ron Shaich , founder of Panera bread on why the best time to grow a business is during a downturn.
• Bernard Arnault, on securing his family's control of LVMH for the next 30 years.
• Queen Rania , on the double standards of Western Media.

?? In Marketing

• The rise of Virtual Influencers.
• Selling a unique product? The key is storytelling .
• Machine learning and Marketing .

?? To Watch

• Equator AI - A YouTube channel dedicated to bringing Ancient Languages to life.

• Empowering Dyslexic thinking at work. Made by Dyslexia - a global charity led by dyslexic people to empower dyslexic thinking - has created an open access LinkedIn training course, split into four models covering from re-defining Dyslexic Thinking (to recognise it as a valuable skillset), providing adjustments to help dyslexics thrive, tailoring recruitment processes, and building support pillars like employee resource groups.

• Marketing Against the Grain - Kipp and Kieran discuss AI wearable trend and how OpenAI may be building a smartphone that surpasses the Iphone.

?? To Listen

• Bonus: Ghost Story . Not educational - well subjective I find it very informational in some aspects - but a great listen regardless. If you're a murder mystery fanatic such as me, and you need something to listen to on your morning run, or the dreadful post gym cardio, give this a listen. Tristan Redman, a journalist for Al-Jazeera delves into a rather unusual past of his wife's great grandfather. There's murder, mystery, humor and horror all packed into this bite-sized audio story.

Extra long reads

• We were never supposed to see our faces this much .
• How to Make a Monster.

I've been MIA from posting any newsletter for a while, and I'm not worried about that. With everything that's happening around the world, it's fine to take some time to yourself and reflect. There's a lot to digest, and you shouldn't feel a looming sense of obligation to fulfill your other tasks if your mind is very much occupied with the thought of something else. I've been reading (incessantly), but I wasn't writing. Two primary reasons -

1. Much of the news is very strongly centered on Western progress, narrative and ideologies. I was actively filtering things out, because I do not want to publish a newsletter that is so blatantly controlled by entities that have little to no relatable stances with us. It doesn't mean I'm going to avoid it completely. I only want to discuss about things that can have scientific and commercial implications on the world as a whole down the line. It goes without saying (and after severe introspection) that the content I'm digesting on a daily is western centric, if not directly but inadvertently controlled by a Western narrative. I'm not assigning complete blame to any media entity, I myself have been naturally (without consciously identifying) groomed to listen to these narratives. Undoubtedly, there are interesting global progress in the Western world, that I find intriguing and I believe strongly will have long-term impact on the global economic sphere. I just sincerely hope, that I do not come off as another spokesperson for media divertissement. I'm still learning and I'm still trying to incorporate an objective view without placing any form of prejudice. I want this newsletter to uphold an edict; to act as a safe sphere for economic, political and progressive discourse.
2. I don't want to fall prey to discursive perplexity; absent within the context and mislead into information that (whether purposefully or not) intends to distract. I'm going to take an active stance in scrupulously staying informed, reading, listening and distinguishing. There will be times i'm not active and that's fine - I'm taking some time to really sit down and digest.

These are trying times, and while you might reflect and emphasize that there are people around the world who are going through worse times than you, do not lose your sense of self and do not diminish your own feelings. The fact that you are feeling is emblematic that you are human; that you empathize; that it pains you to see others in pain; that you feel helpless. The best you can do right now is to give them voices, scream out loud for them, give them a portion of your savings (even a little counts if everyone gets together), and pray for their prosperity.

Stay informed, stay diligent. Voice it out.