Retro: The Ultimate Photo-Sharing App for Best Friends’ Collaborative Journals

Retro Introduces Journals: A Fresh Take on Photo Sharing

In a world where major social media platforms are vying for maximum user engagement through algorithmic feeds and personalized content, Retro is taking a different approach. The company has unveiled a new feature called journals, offering users a versatile way to share photos with their favorite people and create visual records of the moments that matter most in their lives. Whether used as a shared photo album or a private record, journals provide a unique and intimate photo-sharing experience.

The Potential of Retro’s Journals

While photo-sharing apps are not a novel concept, Retro’s founding team, comprised of former Instagram team members Nathan Sharp and Ryan Olson, brings a wealth of experience to the table. Their involvement in the development of groundbreaking features like Stories lends credibility to Retro’s potential to become a must-have app for long-distance friends, extended families, and anyone who enjoys carefully curating and sharing their best photos.

Retro’s main feature allows users to share their most cherished photos from the past week with their closest connections. However, the introduction of journals takes this concept a step further, providing a flexible way for groups to share photos, akin to a “photo-first WhatsApp group,” as described by co-founder and CEO Nathan Sharp.

Unlocking Product-Led Growth

Since its launch last summer, Retro has garnered attention from product designers who appreciate well-crafted social mobile apps. However, the startup is still working on gaining mainstream adoption. By continuously shipping new features, like journals, Retro aims to unlock a “product-led growth engine,” as Sharp puts it.

“The first task right now is building the perfect product for catching up with family and friends. And then the second part is making sure that your family and friends can easily get on there… I think journals are a big part of that,” he told The Zero Byte. “You can’t really separate those two tasks as a social app but what you can do is focus on features that provide high-utility for groups of people which bring them on.”

Versatile Uses for Journals

Journals can be used to curate photos around specific topics, such as creating individual family journals for each child, allowing parents to easily review earlier photos without the usual clutter of their photo library. Couples can also create a shared journal to capture important moments together without overwhelming their friends on Retro. Additionally, journals can be used to compile photos from a recent trip or event, enabling everyone to contribute and share without necessarily becoming friends on the app.

Image Credits: Retro

“One of the favorite ones that I’ve made is for Valentine’s Day. I made one for my wife, which is just pictures of the two of us. And I went back, like, ten years — we’ve been together ten years,” said co-founder and CTO Ryan Olson. “Now when there’s a picture of the two of us, I just add it there. And it’s fun to have this sort of living thing for the two of us.”

Journals can even be used for personal projects or hobbies, such as tracking progress in woodworking or furniture making, with the user being the sole member of the journal.

Viral Potential and Growth Opportunities

Retro’s journals feature has the potential to help build awareness of the app if the startup can encourage people to use journals during real-life events. For example, an organizer could display a QR code for guests to scan and share photos, similar to leaving disposable cameras on tables at an event.

Journals can also be shared outside of Retro through public links, which can be posted on Instagram Stories or other online platforms. This viral aspect could potentially become Retro’s product-led growth engine, as people discover the app by clicking on these shared album links.

As Retro continues to experiment with new features like journals, only time will tell if this innovative approach to photo sharing will resonate with users and propel the app to mainstream success.