Rewind: Bluesky CEO Jay Graber on the future of federated social media

User Design

Bluesky's user-centric design prioritizes account portability and seamless user experience. Jay Graber explains that users can back up their data and move between services without friction, addressing issues like domain seizures that have affected other platforms 1. The platform's design choices, such as not displaying likes publicly, reflect a focus on user privacy and experience 2. Graber emphasizes the importance of these design decisions, stating, "We've really learned through building and running a social app how much these kinds of little frictions and defaults matter in terms of shaping people's experience."

   

Monetization

Bluesky explores innovative monetization strategies within an open protocol environment. Graber discusses the development of marketplaces for curation and moderation, alongside offering custom domains as a revenue stream 3. She highlights the potential for monetization through services built on top of the protocol, akin to how the web has successfully monetized open protocols 4. Graber notes, "We really believe that money follows value. If we can demonstrate this value and people really want this, then it's something where we'll be able to make money offering services in this ecosystem."

   

Community

Community plays a pivotal role in shaping Bluesky's culture, fostering active user participation and creativity. Graber describes a culture of engagement where users can create custom feeds and explore niche communities, enhancing the platform's dynamic nature 5. The platform's early user base was highly active, contributing to a playful and chaotic atmosphere 6. Graber reflects on this vibrant culture, saying, "Early on we had this crazy ratio of like, you know, 90% posters...it was extremely active and tons of people firing off, you know, shitposts, essentially, like really fast, funny takes on things."