DOWN Dating & Social Apps

My debut book just outsold Atomic Habits in its debut week. That book is probably the biggest Business/Leadership book of the past decade (it has amazing staying power). I genuinely don't know what to do with this realization. Picture this: the top 150 books sold across all of America. The biggest novels, memoirs, and self-help manuals. Celebrities, executives, authors with millions of dollars and millions of followers behind them. And this first-time author snuck into their exclusive club. Who made this happen? You. If you bought a copy (or 10), spared a like, dropped a comment, or reposted for this underdog author, you made a difference. So: Outrageous Startup Growth is a Top 10 Business book in the entire country. We landed at #6, just after NHL legend Chris Pronger's book on personal growth. Across all books, it's #29 on the USA Today Bestseller list. Top 30 books sold in the country in its debut week. Take that, KPop Demon Hunters Official Storybook, sitting at #32! Landing on this list is incredible; I won't pretend otherwise. But honestly? I keep refreshing the reviews instead of the bestseller list. That tells me something. Readers sharing which stories hit close to home. Founders describing how they're seeing their businesses differently. People not only reading my stories, but noticing the small touches I fought to put in. That's the whole point. The ranking is nice, but the impact really hits, followed by the reach. We're spreading a simpler, psychology-driven way to grow, and it's starting to find the people who need it. The vulnerable stories are landing. New founders are learning how to create their own Outrageous Growth every single day. To everyone who bought a copy, left a review, passed it to a founder friend, or just showed up for this journey: this is yours, too. You made a first-time author a national bestseller against some pretty ridiculous competition. We're just getting started.

What if the real reason your app isn’t growing… isn’t your ads, features, or budget, but your understanding of user psychology? In this special birthday episode, I break down how the best apps in the world actually grow. Plus, hear my best dad joke 🤣 From launch to retention to revenue, I share the exact psychological frameworks that drive user behavior, and how you can apply them to your own app today. A must-watch session for app founders, product managers, and growth teams who want to understand user psychology and build apps that drive retention, engagement, and revenue. PS: This episode is extra special as both Steve and I are celebrating our birthdays, so expect some fun moments along the way! You will discover (Talking points): ✅ The 3 core levers to grow any app (paywalls, monetization, retention) ✅ The “Magic Moments” framework that creates addictive user experiences ✅ The psychology behind why users stay, pay, and come back ✅ Real lessons from scaling apps to millions of users

What if the real reason your app isn’t growing… isn’t your ads, features, or budget, but your understanding of user psychology? In this special birthday episode, we are joined by Colin Hodge, startup founder and growth expert behind apps with 100M+ users, including the Top 10 dating app DOWN Dating & Social Apps, to break down how the best apps in the world actually grow. From launch to retention to revenue, Colin shares the exact psychological frameworks that drive user behavior, and how you can apply them to your own app today. A must-watch session for app founders, product managers, and growth teams who want to understand user psychology and build apps that drive retention, engagement, and revenue. PS: This episode is extra special as both Steve and Colin are celebrating their birthdays, so expect some fun moments along the way! You will discover: ✅ The 3 core levers to grow any app (paywalls, monetization, retention) ✅ The “Magic Moments” framework that creates addictive user experiences ✅ The psychology behind why users stay, pay, and come back ✅ Real lessons from scaling apps to millions of users Learn More: Colin’s book: colinhodge.com/book Connect with Colin: linkedin.com/in/ckbhodge

This is a HUGE day for me. Today, after 2 years of work, my first book is officially out. Out as in available everywhere you buy books. Amazon, B&N, Bookshop dot org, your favorite indie store, and probably even the black market. It's crazy that just 24 months ago, I didn't ever think I'd be an author. It started with scattered notes on memories and lessons from my startup journey, and morphed into a raw, funny story that got featured by Medium's editors. That was my MVP. My "ship it and let the market decide" moment. A few sparks of growth shimmered. The "claps" and comments on Medium. The editors' recognition. The suggestion by 2 people that I turn it into a book. That's how I got tricked into writing a whole damn book. I've liked writing but never thought I loved it; my sporadic work since playing online editor at a Cornell newspaper backs that up. But getting the real story out there and possibly helping others see a healthier way to grow their business? That pulled me back in. I gathered my notes and set up my plan to write it over just 6 months. A daunting sprint spread across my apartment in Taipei, my hometown in Pennsylvania, my adopted US hometown of Seattle, 3 months immersed in startup central (San Francisco), and penning the last chapters while on a bromance cruise to Alaska. The result? A suspenseful, practical book packed with insider stories and illuminating case studies that make understanding psychology easy. If you’ve followed along over the past couple of weeks, thank you. Hearing from people who are genuinely excited to read the book warms my heart. And if you’ve already supported it, read it, or shared it, I really appreciate it. Outrageous Startup Growth is now live. If you haven't yet, you can grab it in the first comment. Post yourself with the book and I'll be sure to reshare you to my whole network!

Most growth problems look different on the surface. But underneath, they usually come down to the same few things. Over time, I started noticing a pattern. The startups that grew… and the ones that didn’t… were often dealing with the same core levers. I break it down into three simple ideas: 1. FOMO Creating momentum and excitement around your product. Not hype, but giving people a reason to care now, not later. 2. Decision design Making it easier for people to say yes. Not by pushing harder, but by reducing friction and guiding choices. 3. Magic moments That one moment where a user “gets it”. Where motivation and trust peak, and everything clicks. Most teams try to grow by doing more. More features. More campaigns. More noise. But growth often comes from doing these three things better. That’s the core of what I’ve been writing about in Outrageous Startup Growth. Simple ideas, but not always easy to apply. If you’re curious to go deeper, pre orders are open. Link in the first comment.

One of the biggest mistakes I made early on… was thinking growth was about logic. If the product is better, people will come. If the features are stronger, users will stay. If the value is clear, growth will follow. It sounds reasonable. It’s also wrong. Some of the best products I worked on didn’t grow. Some of the simplest ones did. The difference wasn’t the product. It was understanding how people actually think. What makes someone try something. What makes them come back. What makes them tell a friend. Most of that has very little to do with logic. It’s psychology. I learned that the hard way, through a lot of trial, error, and missed opportunities. That’s a big part of why I wrote Outrageous Startup Growth. Not to share tactics, but to share the patterns I wish I understood earlier. Pre orders are open. If this resonates, you can grab the book in the first comment.

Here’s another chance to practice what I preach. In Outrageous Startup Growth, I talk about what price drops actually do to us psychologically. How a simple discount can shift perception, urgency, and decision making. And now, ironically, I get to use it. For a limited time, Barnes & Noble is offering 25% off pre-orders (35% for premium members) for Outrageous Startup Growth. If you’ve been thinking about getting the book, this is probably the best window. It expires on Thursday, March 26th. 3 simple steps: 1. Enroll in their free rewards program: https://lnkd.in/dkkUmQjj 2. Add the book to your cart: https://lnkd.in/dqECSSXH 3. Use code PREORDER25 at checkout That’s it. I don’t usually push discounts, but this is a good example of the principles in the book, in action. And also, a pretty good deal.

Two people sit across from each other on a first date. Same place. Same time. Same conversation. But they walk away with completely different experiences. One thinks: “That was amazing.” The other thinks: “Meh.” What changed? It’s not just chemistry. It’s not just attraction. It’s psychology. Small things most people don’t notice: Who asks questions first. Who reveals something slightly vulnerable. Who creates a moment that feels different from every other date. These moments shape how we feel, what we remember, and whether we want to see someone again. And once you start noticing them… you see them everywhere. Not just in dating. In products. In marketing. In growth. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, so I started a new series exploring it. This is the first issue: “The Psychology of Dating, Part 1” If you’re curious, I shared the full breakdown in the first comment: 👇