Community
Moving beyond passive listening by designing a creator-led ecosystem that drove community engagement from <9% to over 25% of weekly active users.
Where did this come from?
In early 2024, Podimo faced a "cold start" problem. While we had basic features like Reactions and Comments, they were hidden and underutilized, with weekly engagement stagnating around <9%. User research revealed a critical disconnect:
The "Lurker" Reality: 98% of users were passive consumers. They wanted to feel a connection but found writing comments too "vulnerable" or high-effort while listening on the go,
The Creator Gap: Creators wanted to engage but viewed Podimo merely as a distribution pipe. They were burned out by Instagram’s algorithm and lacked the tools to manage their presence directly inside Podimo.
A "Connection Hub" that empowers creators to own their audience and gives listeners low-friction ways to interact, transforming Podimo from a listening tool into a participatory ecosystem.
My role
I designed a holistic experience—specifically the Community Feed, Polls, and Creator Profiles—to bridge the gap between static consumption and active connection.
Before
A static experience. Users could only "React", which they often forgot to do; or "Comment", which felt vulnerable in empty threads.
Community engagement hovered around 8.9%.
After
The Feed: A dynamic space prioritizing content from followed shows, featuring rich media and polls that act as "ice-breakers".
The Creator Profile: A customizable "Connection Hub" where creators can pin content, run polls, and showcase their brand.
The Experience: Engagement is no longer hidden; "Poll Votes" and "Feed Impressions" are integral parts of the listening loop, with visual cues driving discovery.
Impact & Results
NSM Achievement: We surpassed our target, hitting a record high of ~26% weekly active user engagement one year and a half later.
Retention Signal: We proved that social engagement drives loyalty. Users who engaged with comments listened 46% longer than those who did not.
Our hypothesis
If we launch a creator-led Community Feed with self-serve posting tools, listeners will engage sooner (solving cold start) and creators will drive traffic to Podimo, shifting passive consumption to active retention and increasing listening time.
How did we get there?
1.
Community Feed: the creator-to-fan bridge
Off-platform “community” moments were scattered, so I designed a show-anchored feed inside the listening journey. Creators can share teasers, clips, and updates in one tap; fans stay in Podimo where discovery converts to listens. We added simple ranking (followed shows + freshness) and a single + entry point—turning passive followers into active, returning listeners.
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2.
Polls: the easiest way for users to engage and shape content.
Writing comments was high-friction for mobile listeners, so we designed Polls as a one-tap interaction. This became the "stickiest" feature, offering users instant gratification (seeing results) and creators immediate feedback without the moderation burden of comments,.
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3.
Empowering Creators with Self-Service Tools
They described their profiles as "passive" and "just a bio", so we moved these capabilities out of the desktop Admin and into the mobile app. This allowed creators to post polls, pin comments, and manage their brand directly from their pocket.
What did we learn?
1.
The "Social Media Fatigue" Reality
Users rejected generic "new episode out" posts. They only engaged when the Feed offered exclusive content.
2.
The "Show Page" Pivot
We experimented with making the Community Feed the default view on Show Pages. Data showed this hurt the core listening experience (finding episodes became harder), so we boldly rolled it back. This taught us that Community must support listening, not compete with it.
3.
Creator Presence is the Multiplier
Data proved that episodes with a creator comment or poll saw 35% more views and 64% more likes. The tools designed for creators were not just "nice to haves", they were the engine of listener activity.
Outcome and results
NSM Achievement: By late 2025, the Community North Star Metric hit a record high of ~26%, surpassing our target.
Poll Dominance: Polls became a primary driver of engagement, with some receiving over 10,000 votes, validating the decision to prioritize low-friction interactions.
Retention Signal: We proved that users who engaged with these features had significantly higher retention and listening hours, securing Community's place as a core strategic pillar for 2026.