Wordle grew to 2M daily players by following one simple rule…
You can only play once per day.
⚰️ Viral products are killing “always available”
The old playbook was simple:
“Make your product available 24/7”
But a new wave of products is proving the exact opposite.
The most successful apps right now are the ones you CAN’T use whenever you want:
✍️ Wordle gives you one puzzle per day.
⏰ BeReal lets you post for just 2 minutes each day.
💘 Thursday (the dating app) only works on Thursdays.
And their unavailability is a MASSIVE retention driver and a conversation starter.
💡 The marketing idea
Create artificial “time windows” when your product is available (or extra valuable).
It’s exactly how you can turn your product into an event people wait for. Not by giving the same experience all the time, but by creating conversation starters = special moments worth talking about.
🧠 Why this works
Time windows tap into two powerful psychological triggers:
⌛ Scarcity: When something isn’t always available → we value it more.
🏕️ Shared experiences: When everyone uses your product at the same time → it becomes a social event.
That’s why you hear conversations like: “Did you solve today’s Wordle?” or “BeReal just dropped!”.
🎯 Two ways to do “time windows”
There are 2 ways to play this game — and both work incredibly well:
🔒 Full lockout: Your entire product is only available during specific times.
Example: The dating app Thursday completely shuts down 6 days a week. When Thursday comes, everyone shows up at once → more matches → better experience → massive word of mouth.
⚡️ Power hours: Your product works 24/7, but becomes extra valuable during specific windows.
Example: Duolingo randomly drops “Happy Hours” where users earn 2x XP. Same product, same features - just more rewarding during specific times. And it drives insane engagement.
💎 10 quick wins you can steal
Here are proven ways to create “time windows” in your product:
🎯 Random power-ups: Drop surprise feature upgrades during specific hours (like Duolingo’s 2x XP)
⭐️ Daily exclusives: Release one template, tip, resource or piece of premium content that expires in 24h (like Wordle’s daily puzzle)
🗓️ Weekly events: Own one day completely (like Thursday dating app)
💡 Limited expert hours: Open live chat with your team/founders only during specific windows
🎪 Pop-up features: Unlock premium features for everyone for free during random “happy hours”
🤝 Group challenges: Create time-bound competitions where users can compete together
🎁 Flash rewards: Boost loyalty points/cashback during surprise periods
🕺 Live sessions: Host guided group training (like Headspace and their live group meditations)
⚔️ Multiplayer moments: Enable special collaborative features during specific windows
🌈 Creative prompts: Release daily challenges that expire (like writing prompts or design tasks) - it’s a magical retention engine from my experience
The only rule is you have to match the “time window” to your product’s natural value and usage patterns. Don’t force it! Find what makes sense for your users :)
🔥 TL;DR: Less availability = More virality. Create special time windows when your product becomes a must-use event.
See you next week ✌️
Tom
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