Duolingo's most powerful re-engagement notification is one sent after five days of inactivity stating, "these reminders don't seem to be working. We're going to stop sending them." This passive-aggressive message makes users feel the app is "giving up on them," which is surprisingly effective at getting them to return.

To boost adoption for its long-form content product, TikTok inverted its onboarding flow. It allowed creators to start making content immediately, only requiring bank details and identity verification once they had earned money. This aligned the friction of setup with the user's motivation to get paid.

Widgets are more than a user-delighting feature; they are a powerful tool for boosting retention. Securing real estate on a user's home or lock screen constantly reminds them of the app, dramatically increasing daily use. The speaker's app retention more than doubled after implementing widgets.

"Adoption" can be a superficial metric of initial use. The term "absorption" forces a higher standard, implying a feature has become an indispensable, natural part of a user's regular workflow. This reframing focuses teams on creating lasting behavioral change, not just clicks.

Social media platforms heavily promote new features to drive adoption. By being an early user of TikTok's 'Bulletin Boards'—a feature similar to Instagram's broadcast channels—brands can gain a significant, temporary advantage in reach and visibility before the feature becomes saturated and algorithmic priority fades.

TikTok's product team is actively emailing specific creator segments, such as course creators, to ask for direct feedback on what features they need. This suggests a strategy to build tailored tools for different business verticals and a willingness to co-create the platform with its users.

Metropolis's computer vision system was so frictionless that users often didn't notice it was working. This counter-intuitive problem forced them to add friction, like text notifications, back into the experience to confirm the product was delivering value and build brand awareness.

To grow an established product, introduce new formats (e.g., Instagram Stories, Google AI Mode) as separate but integrated experiences. This allows you to tap into new user behaviors without disrupting the expectations and mental models users have for the core product, avoiding confusion and accelerating adoption.

When platforms like Instagram roll out a new feature, such as the awkward long horizontal format, marketers should adopt it immediately. Platforms aggressively push new features to drive adoption, rewarding early adopters with increased visibility and reach, even if the feature itself is disliked by users and creators.