It took a while to catch up, but X is now responding to the trend of ‘Starter Packs’ which was first popularized by Bluesky in 2024.
Starter packs make it easier for new users to find relevant people to follow in a specific niche, which is useful for new users when they first open an account. Discovery had a particular focus on Bluesky, given the differences in usernames from other platforms, so it launched Starter Packs in different niches and interests to help people make the transition to the app.
And now X has its own variant, creatively called ‘Starter Packs’ (the lack of a space between the words is the differentiator).
Interesting to see “Meme Coins” highlighted here, given that these communities were recently targeted by X’s latest anti-spam updates.
As explained by X’s head of product Nikita Beer:
“Over the past few months, we’ve scoured the world for the best posters in every niche and country. We’ve put them together in a new tool called Starterpacks: to help new users find the best accounts – big or small – for their interests.”
I mean, he could have at least mentioned Bluesky and acknowledged his work here, but whatever.
So now you can easily find the most respected voices to follow on
Which may be relevant for some niches. Like conspiracy theorists, or idiots, or both.
But for most, I’m not sure discovery is so much the problem, as most people are quite familiar with what’s offered on X.
But then again, discovery has always been a challenge, and Twitter recognizes that way back in 2015 that at least some of the growth issues were related to problems with people understanding the app, and how to find relevant followers.
And since Bier focuses specifically on new user growth, this makes sense and could be a valuable addition.
And considering that the average X user only sees 20-30 posts per day, any expanded discovery and improved relevance can only be beneficial for boosting engagement, while
Also worth noting: Threads also has its own version of starter packs, launching in December 2024. So in the end they all become the same, at least in a functional context.
Bier says starter packs will be rolled out “in the coming weeks”, while you can get early access to some starter packs here.
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