Sometimes it’s worth ignoring the 'best practices'. Like in today’s issue.
How do we get pre-sales on our work…
…before there’s anything to pre-sell?
Let’s take a look at a product that did.
Despite the missteps along the way.
Despite an oversaturated market.
Despite a 12 year wait.
Ask yourself while reading:
"Why am I hiding my journey from the world?"
Clear (a to-do list app) launched in 2012.
Debuted #1 'top grossing' in the US App Store.
I remember using it on my 4S, thinking to myself,
"This actually makes grocery shopping…enjoyable."
Then it went quiet.
No updates.
No news.
Quiet.
So 16 May 2023, when they announced it 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.
Check out their app for yourself at useclear.com.
Question for the week: What do you like most about what Clear did above?
Reply to this email with: What stuck out to you most! I read every reply.
Happy to-do-ing,
