Wizz | Rethink the experience of a teen social app (1M DAUs)

Wizz, a social network designed for teenagers with gaming elements, boasted a substantial user base of 1 million daily active users (DAUs) upon my arrival. However, despite the company's profitability, it faced a plateau in terms of user growth that the company was struggling to move past.

The app's core features, including swiping, messaging, and one-on-one interactions, created a strong dating vibe, contradicting its marketed identity as "expanding your world." Through interviews, user discussions, and a review of past documentation, it became evident that this dating emphasis hindered the app from realizing its true potential.

From the interviews, it became apparent that users were keen on features related to group chat, finding like-minded individuals, and building communities. While the company had experimented with these ideas before, the execution and vision were not consistently clear. I collaborated with the lead management to craft a compelling narrative for the app's future, coined as "Beyond Dating."

I engaged in discussions not only with our users but also with our team, conducting a comprehensive benchmark analysis of all social apps targeting teens, including Bereel, TikTok, Instagram, Snap, and others. This analysis revealed four key areas where we could develop a product with a unique value proposition.

Choosing among these areas involved a mix of data, the core DNA of the product, and a touch of instinct in determining what "felt right." Social apps aren't like SaaS products; they're not a perfect science. Sometimes, the most efficient way to arrive at a solid MVP is through experimentation until a robust core loop is identified.

Transitioning from the ideation phase to the sketching phase, our goal was to swiftly create a social app with a unique core loop that addressed the initial narratives we explored. Collaborating closely with the team and Product, we engaged in intensive brainstorming and ideation sessions to craft a new core loop centered around groups. Within a month, I conceptualized 4-5 potential designs for a new app that would redefine the user experience and offer fresh value.

Quickly, we gravitated towards the concept of "Status updates" with visual replies that would accumulate in your "Room." The team believed it offered a robust and distinctive core loop to pivot away from the initial dating narrative.

Transitioning from the ideation phase to the sketching phase, our goal was to swiftly create a social app with a unique core loop that addressed the initial narratives we explored. Quickly, we gravitated towards the concept of "Status updates" with visual replies that would accumulate in your "Room." The team believed it offered a robust and distinctive core loop to pivot away from the initial dating narrative.

With a tight deadline of 2 weeks, I took charge of building the MVP's architecture, ensuring its resilience against common edge cases with the tech team. The Master Figma document emerged as the definitive source of truth for the impending app development.

It's essential to note that the objective wasn't necessarily to discard the previous app, which was performing well, but to discover new areas of growth that extended beyond the current narrative. While these types of products have a 90% chance of failure, the insights gained can fuel a significant evolution in the current product.

The entire company shifted its focus to this new product, and in less than three weeks, we developed a solid MVP with a working prototype capable of handling most edge cases. After a two-week phase of refining the elements, we were prepared to release a private beta to approximately 1000 selected users.