Forget the playbook

16 May 2023, when Clear announced thir app was returning…
The market was a totally different place.
We weren’t celebrating the leader.
We were cheering the underdog.
But why were were cheering?
After they’d vanished?

Three reasons:

Clear invited us on a journey.

They announced they were back. Their first email started with thanks. For following. For caring. For believing. Then they showed what they were working on.

They made it clear they couldn’t do it alone. They made it clear that Clear needed us. So they invited us on a journey.

Clear gave more than it asked.

Almost every email contained a gift. Special app icons. Custom app themes. All redeemable once the app goes live.

Being there for the journey peppered us with goodies. We felt invested. We felt loved on. We felt like we had something to lose if it didn’t work out.

Clear made it enjoyable.

Each free gift was thoughtfully displayed in pretend product packaging, complete with cut-outs for hanging in a store. It reminded us of shopping at toy stores as kids. And we get these for free!

Not only was the app meant to be enjoyable when it was completed… but the process of coming along for the ride while it was being developed was also enjoyable.

Now it’s on home screens everywhere.

We didn’t need another to-do list app.
This one doesn’t work on your Mac or on the web (iOS only).
This one doesn’t let you share your lists with others.
This one doesn’t let you make repeat-todos.
This one doesn’t let you make reminders.
This one doesn’t follow the playbook.

But it gives more than it asks, and is enjoyable.
For their choice of market, that’s enough.

I go into more detail on this topic in this week’s issue of The Productoon Newsletter. Check it out!