DC App Transition — Communication Ideas

I noticed some patterns in how the app transition is being communicated. Thought I'd share what I observed, plus some alternatives that might work.

This isn't criticism — just a different angle. You know your community better than I do.

What I Saw

Here's a recent transition message:

This message is fine. Professional. Clear. Lists the benefits.

But I wondered: what if the same information was framed differently?

The Pattern I Noticed

Current approach

Announces change → Lists benefits → Links to new channel

Alternative

Shares problem → Explains why now → Invites collaboration

Both are valid. The difference is emotional positioning:

Approach A: "We're improving things for you"
Approach B: "We have a problem, here's what we're trying, help us"

Founders tend to respond well to Approach B. They're used to building things, iterating, dealing with uncertainty. Being invited into the process feels natural.

Same Information, Different Framing

On "No AI Bots":

Version A

"No AI Bots"

Version B

"Only verified DCers. We had strangers joining through leaked invite links — that's fixed now."

On "Improved security and trust":

Version A

"Improved security and trust"

Version B

"Your phone number isn't visible to 1000+ people anymore."

On the transition itself:

Version A

"All groups are carefully transitioning to improve your experience"

Version B

"We're testing this with a few groups first. If something's broken, tell us."

Version B is longer and messier. That's intentional — it sounds like a person talking, not a company announcing.

Why This Might Matter

DCers left corporate jobs. They're allergic to:

Polished announcements that feel pre-approved
"We're excited to announce..." energy
Benefits without context ("why now?")
Being informed rather than invited

This doesn't mean the current communication is wrong. It just means there might be an opportunity to connect more directly.

A Pattern From DC History

Simon mentioned something interesting:

"People protested like crazy when Alex was uniting all groups into WhatsApp. They were in Slack, Facebook Messenger, all over the place. People hated him for it."

Today, WhatsApp IS DC for most members.

This transition might follow the same arc. If so, it could help to acknowledge that pattern directly:

"Remember when we moved to WhatsApp? Everyone hated it. Now we can't imagine DC without it. This is that moment again."

An Underused Asset: Simon's Story

Simon told me:

"I spent over one year of hard work to make the best community app possible for DCers. I'm shipping new versions almost every day. I'm working 120%."

And:

"I know I'm not good at communicating or at marketing."

This is incredibly relatable for founders. The builder who's great at building but struggles to explain why it matters.

What if Simon's journey was part of the story? Not as marketing, but as founder-to-founder honesty:

"Simon's been building this for a year. He ships updates daily. He wants to know what's broken. Tell him directly — he's in the channel."

Draft Messages (If Useful)

Here are some alternative messages you could adapt. Use them, change them, or ignore them entirely.

Short version:

We're moving this group to the DC app. Why? WhatsApp can't verify members. We've had strangers join through leaked invite links. Your phone numbers are visible to everyone. The app fixes that. Only verified DCers. Your number stays private. It's not perfect yet. Simon ships updates daily. Tell him what's broken: [link]

Longer version with context:

Hey — we're moving this conversation to the DC app. Quick context: We've had people join WhatsApp groups who weren't DCers. They found leaked invite links. Once they're in, they can see everyone's phone number. We can catch most of them. But not all. And WhatsApp can't fix this — it's how the platform works. Simon's been building the DC app for over a year specifically to solve this. Verified members only. No phone number exposure. Message history for new members. It's not finished. He ships updates daily and wants to know what sucks. Here's the new channel: [link] If you hate it, tell us why. We're figuring this out together.

For the "big announcement":

Some of you noticed groups moving to the DC app. Here's what's happening: WhatsApp has a problem we can't fix: anyone with an invite link can join, and once they're in, they see everyone's phone number. We've caught several non-members this month. So we're transitioning to the DC app, where only verified members can access groups. You might remember — when we moved from Slack/Messenger to WhatsApp years ago, people were furious. Now we can't imagine DC without it. This is that moment again. It'll feel weird at first. Simon's been building this for a year. It's not perfect yet. He wants your feedback — what's missing, what's broken, what would make you actually use it. We're not doing this TO you. We're doing this WITH you.

Phrases That Might Not Land Well

Based on what I've seen work (and not work) in founder communities:

"to improve your experience" — sounds like airline announcements
"carefully transitioning" — implies corporate caution over speed
"We're excited to..." — everyone's always "excited"
"Trust us" — trust is earned, not requested

Again — these aren't wrong. They're just patterns that can trigger skepticism in people who've heard them from companies that didn't deliver.

That's It

You know DC better than I do. These are just observations from the outside.

The app looks solid. The security reasons are real. The transition makes sense.

The only question is whether the communication matches the culture.

— Dom