Getting Started

Which pattern to implement first, and how to integrate with your existing app.

Step 1: Diagnose Your Biggest Problem

Use data to identify where users are dropping off:

Check Your Metrics

Onboarding Issues:

• Low signup completion rate (<50%)
• High time-to-first-value (>5 minutes)
• Drop-off during key setup or relay selection

→ Start with Pattern 1: Onboarding

Content Discovery Issues:

• Users bounce after signup (session <1 min)
• Empty or boring feeds
• Low follow rate (<5 accounts in first session)

→ Start with Pattern 2: Content Discovery

Core Interaction Issues:

• Posts disappearing or failing
• Low action success rate (<95%)
• User complaints about reliability

→ Start with Pattern 3: Core Interactions

Performance Issues:

• Slow load times (>3s)
• Janky scrolling or animations
• High bounce rate on slow connections

→ Start with Pattern 4: Performance

Complexity Issues:

• Users overwhelmed by settings
• High support ticket volume about features
• Power user features ignored by new users

→ Start with Pattern 5: Progressive Complexity

Cross-Client Issues:

• Data loss when switching clients
• Follows/followers disappearing
• Posts visible in one client but not others

→ Start with Pattern 6: Cross-Client Consistency

Step 2: Start with Quick Wins

Don’t try to implement the entire pattern at once. Start with Quick Wins that can ship this week.

Quick Wins by Pattern

Pattern 1 (Onboarding):

1. Guest browse mode (see content before signup)
2. Reduce required fields to just username
3. Auto-select relays (don’t make users choose)

Pattern 2 (Content Discovery):

1. Show trending content on empty feeds
2. Create starter packs (auto-follow quality accounts)
3. Add basic search

Pattern 3 (Core Interactions):

1. Optimistic UI (update immediately, sync in background)
2. Clear error messages (no technical jargon)
3. Retry logic for failed actions

Pattern 4 (Performance):

1. Skeleton screens (show loading placeholders)
2. Cache profile data locally
3. Lazy load images

Pattern 5 (Progressive Complexity):

1. Move relay settings to “Advanced”
2. Use plain language (no protocol jargon)
3. Hide signer setup from onboarding

Pattern 6 (Cross-Client Consistency):

1. Write to 3+ relays for critical data
2. Verify successful writes before confirming
3. Add sync status indicators

Step 3: Implementation Strategies

Strategy A: Incremental (Recommended)

Best for: Existing apps with active users

Approach:

1. Pick ONE pattern
2. Implement 2-3 quick wins from that pattern
3. Ship behind feature flag (A/B test if possible)
4. Measure for 1-2 weeks
5. If successful, move to next pattern

Pros:

• Low risk (easy to rollback)
• Can measure impact of each change
• Doesn’t disrupt existing users

Cons:

• Slower overall progress
• Requires feature flag infrastructure

Strategy B: Focused Sprint

Best for: Apps with major pain point in one pattern

Approach:

1. Pick the ONE pattern causing the most problems
2. Implement all quick wins + 2-3 advanced recommendations
3. Ship everything together
4. Measure for 2-3 weeks before moving on

Pros:

• Faster improvement in problem area
• Can market as “major update”
• More cohesive user experience

Cons:

• Higher risk (harder to rollback)
• Can’t isolate which changes worked
• More development effort upfront

Strategy C: Ground-Up Rebuild

Best for: Building new app from scratch, or major redesign

Approach:

1. Implement patterns in order (1-6)
2. Build core interactions first (patterns 1-3)
3. Layer on polish (patterns 4-6)
4. Launch with all patterns implemented

Pros:

• Cleanest implementation
• No technical debt
• Can architect for patterns from start

Cons:

• Longest time to market
• Can’t validate with real users until launch
• Risk of over-building

Step 4: Integration with Existing Code

Mobile Apps (iOS/Android)

Onboarding flows:

• Replace multi-step signup with single screen
• Add guest mode before auth wall
• Use system defaults (dark mode, notifications)

Content discovery:

• Implement trending content API
• Cache frequently accessed profiles/content
• Use native search UI components

Core interactions:

• Use optimistic state management (Redux, MobX)
• Implement background sync with queues
• Show native retry UI on failures

Performance:

• Use platform-native skeleton screens
• Implement image caching with SDWebImage (iOS) or Glide (Android)
• Lazy load list items with RecyclerView/UICollectionView

Web Apps (React/Vue/Svelte)

Onboarding flows:

• Use multi-step form library (Formik, React Hook Form)
• Implement guest mode with read-only state
• Progressive enhancement (works without JS)

Content discovery:

• Server-side render initial feed (SSR/SSG)
• Implement infinite scroll with intersection observer
• Use Algolia or custom search index

Core interactions:

• Optimistic updates with React Query or SWR
• Background sync with service workers
• Toast notifications for errors

Performance:

• Code splitting with dynamic imports
• Lazy load images with loading=“lazy” or react-lazy-load-image
• Use Suspense for loading states

Desktop Apps (Electron/Tauri)

Onboarding flows:

• Multi-window flow (welcome → setup → main)
• System keychain integration for key storage
• OS-native relay selection (use system preferences pattern)

Content discovery:

• Local SQLite cache for content
• Background fetch with node workers
• System search integration (Spotlight, Windows Search)

Core interactions:

• OS notifications for actions
• Offline queue with local DB
• System-native retry dialogs

Performance:

• Virtualized lists (react-window, react-virtualized)
• Web worker for relay communication
• Native image caching with sharp

Step 5: Rollout Plan

Phase 1: Internal Testing (Week 1)

• Implement quick wins
• Test with team members
• Fix critical bugs
• Validate measurements work

Phase 2: Beta Testing (Week 2-3)

• Ship to 10-20% of users (feature flag)
• Monitor metrics closely
• Collect qualitative feedback
• Fix major issues

Phase 3: Gradual Rollout (Week 4-6)

• Increase to 50% of users
• Continue monitoring metrics
• Compare treatment vs control group
• Refine based on feedback

Phase 4: Full Release (Week 7+)

• Ship to 100% of users
• Remove feature flag
• Document lessons learned
• Move to next pattern

Technical Considerations

Feature Flags

Tools:

• LaunchDarkly (enterprise)
• Unleash (open source)
• PostHog (includes analytics)
• Roll your own (simple boolean in config)

Implementation:

if (featureFlags.optimisticUI) {
  // New optimistic behavior
  updateUIImmediately(post)
  syncToRelaysInBackground(post)
} else {
  // Old behavior
  await syncToRelays(post)
  updateUI(post)
}

Analytics Integration

Track these events:

• Onboarding: signup_started, signup_completed, first_value_reached
• Content: feed_loaded, post_viewed, follow_clicked
• Interactions: post_attempted, post_succeeded, post_failed
• Performance: page_load, feed_render, image_load

Recommended tools:

• PostHog (open source, privacy-focused)
• Plausible (simple, privacy-focused)
• Mixpanel (advanced funnels and cohorts)

Testing Strategy

Unit tests:

• Test optimistic UI state updates
• Verify retry logic works
• Check error handling

Integration tests:

• Test relay communication
• Verify write-to-multiple-relays
• Check cache invalidation

E2E tests:

• Test full onboarding flow
• Verify posting works end-to-end
• Check cross-client data consistency

User testing:

• 5-10 users per pattern
• Think-aloud protocol
• Task completion metrics

Timeline Estimates

Quick Wins (per pattern)

Mobile: 3-5 days per pattern Web: 2-4 days per pattern Desktop: 4-6 days per pattern

Full Pattern (comprehensive implementation)

Mobile: 2-3 weeks per pattern Web: 1-2 weeks per pattern Desktop: 2-4 weeks per pattern

All Six Patterns

Quick Wins Only: 3-4 weeks total Full Implementation: 3-6 months total (depending on team size)

Recommendation: Ship quick wins first (1 month), then iterate on full patterns (2-3 months).

Common Integration Challenges

Challenge 1: Conflicting with Existing Code

Problem: New patterns conflict with legacy architecture

Solution:

• Implement new patterns in parallel (feature flag)
• Gradually migrate old code to new patterns
• Don’t try to refactor everything at once

Challenge 2: Breaking Changes for Existing Users

Problem: Pattern changes disrupt familiar workflows

Solution:

• Add opt-out for power users
• Gradual rollout (10% → 50% → 100%)
• Communicate changes in-app

Challenge 3: Team Disagreement on Priorities

Problem: Engineers want X, designers want Y, product wants Z

Solution:

• Use data to prioritize (where are users dropping off?)
• Reference Validation Framework (which helps users accomplish their goal?)
• Start with quick wins everyone agrees on

Summary

Step-by-step:

1. Diagnose - Use data to find your biggest problem
2. Pick ONE pattern - Don’t implement all six at once
3. Start with quick wins - Ship in days, not weeks
4. Measure impact - Use validation checklists
5. Iterate or move on - Fix what works, pivot if it doesn’t

Choose your strategy:

• Incremental (recommended): One pattern at a time, A/B tested
• Focused sprint: All-in on one pattern, ship together
• Ground-up rebuild: Implement all six in new app

Remember: You don’t have to be perfect. Ship small improvements, measure, and iterate.