When you are building an app, the temptation to add features is constant. More features means more engagement. More engagement means better metrics. Better metrics means more money. It is the cycle every app company optimizes for.
At Distracted Dad, we decided early on to break that cycle. Every single feature idea goes through one filter: is this built for the dad's best interest — or to keep him on the app longer? If it is the latter, we kill it. Even if it would have meant better stats and more money for us.
Here are three features we said no to, and why.
Community Forums
A community section where dads could share tips, post about their sessions, and support each other. Sounds great, right? It would increase daily active users, session time, and create network effects that make the app stickier.
We killed it. Because a dad scrolling a forum feed is a dad not playing with his kid. The entire point of our app is to get you OFF your phone. Adding a social feed would directly contradict our mission. Fun and helpful? Sure. But it ultimately keeps Dad on the screen and away from his child longer.
Photo Capture During Activities
Imagine finishing a fort-building session and snapping a photo right there in the app. Perfect for memories, right? We even had the UI mocked up. Parents loved the concept in surveys.
We killed it. Because the whole point of our activity timer is that you put the phone down. If we added a camera feature, you would bring the phone with you on the activity. You would be thinking about getting the right shot instead of being present. We told you to put the phone down. We meant it.
Social Leaderboards
Ranking dads against each other based on sessions, points, and streaks. Leaderboards are one of the most proven engagement mechanics in app design. They drive competition, repeat usage, and viral sharing. Every growth hacker would tell you to add them.
We killed it. Bonding with your kid is not a competition. And checking your rank against other dads keeps you on the app, not on the floor building LEGO. We want you comparing yourself to yesterday-you, not to some stranger on the internet.
The Principle
We would rather build an app you open for 2 minutes and put down than one you cannot stop scrolling. That is not just a tagline — it is the actual filter we use for every product decision. It means we will always leave money on the table. And we are okay with that.
Because we did not build this app to maximize screen time. We built it to maximize dad time.