We’ve been thinking about a problem with SlowInk, and honestly, we’re not sure we have the answer yet.
Some people join because they want a pen pal.
They explore the app, maybe write an open letter, maybe even find someone they’d like to talk to.
And then… they stop.
Some don’t claim the welcome reward.
Some find a match but never send a letter.
Some write something, but never press “Send.”
It made us wonder:
Is writing the first letter actually harder than finding someone to write to?
Slowly has talked about a similar challenge before. When they noticed that some users were interested in finding pen pals but struggled to get started with their first letter, they introduced tools such as writing prompts and other shortcuts to make that first step easier.
That makes sense for Slowly.
But SlowInk is trying to build something slightly different.
We don’t want to turn letter writing into another form of instant messaging. And we don’t want AI to write the letter for you.
We’re wondering if the answer might be something much smaller:
A question to start with.
A little inspiration when the blank page feels intimidating.
A reminder that your first letter doesn’t have to be perfect.
But we’re not sure.
Maybe prompts make writing easier.
Maybe they make it feel less personal.
Maybe the real problem isn’t knowing what to write at all. Maybe it’s simply that people aren’t sure whether the stranger on the other side will actually reply.
If you use pen-pal apps, we’d genuinely love to know:
What makes you hesitate before sending a first letter?
And what would make you more comfortable pressing “Send”? 💌
