The first date rule for better apps

The first date rule for better apps.

Imagine a first date where, before you even sit down, they ask for your phone number, your address, and access to your photos.

You'd leave. Obviously.

We've spent 14 years building apps at Reliqio, and we still see this in almost every app founders show us.

That's what most apps do in the first thirty seconds. "Allow notifications." "Allow location." "Create an account." "Connect your contacts."

A good first date is simple: be interesting first, ask for things later.

Open your app like a stranger. Is it a good first date, or the one you'd text your friends about?

Oct 12, 2026

Imagine a first date where, before you even sit down, they ask for your address, your phone number, and access to your camera roll.
You'd leave, obviously.
We've spent the past 14 years building apps at Reliqio, and we still see this in almost every app founders show us during pre-discovery calls.
That's what most apps do in the first 30 seconds.
Allow notifications, allow location, create an account, connect your contacts, and give me access to your camera roll.
A first interaction with your app should be like a good first date.
Simple.
Be interesting first, ask for things later.
Open your app like a stranger.
Is it a good first date, or the one you text your friends about, cringing?

Most apps ask for notifications, location, an account and contacts in the first thirty seconds. On a first date, that would end it.

Key points:

Permission and sign-up requests up front push people away before they see any value.
A good first interaction is simple: be interesting first, ask for things later.
Opening your own app as a stranger shows what a new user meets.

Most useful for founders reviewing their app's first minute.

The first date rule for better apps.