Why I like Dispo

This is a unique network structure. It’s a new way of determining who should see what. It solves a problem (pressure-free photo sharing within specific contexts), and because it’s a network rather than a format, it’s going to be hard for Facebook to copy.

Incumbents will struggle to copy it

So, what problem does Dispo solve? We all want to share photos from our lives with friends and family, and sometimes with larger groups. But the options we have to do that are surprisingly intense.

Instead of a continuous stream of new content and notifications, it atomizes the cycle of creation and consumption into a once-per-day rhythm

I’ll give you an example. Just look at Reels, Instagram’s version of TikTok. It seems to be growing much slower than Stories did, and my theory is it’s because the network structure of Instagram is, to some degree, incompatible with the network structure of TikTok.

I actually want to use this app

My general theory of social apps is that they compete on the basis of their network structures, rather than their content formats. The network structure—who sees what—is usually the main driver of value.

The basic concept is that you take photos through an interface that looks like a disposable camera, complete with a tiny viewfinder so you can’t really see what you’re shooting. And then the photos are hidden until they’re “developed” at 9am the following morning and shared into “rolls” — basically groups. It’s conceptually similar to Beme, which l... See more