It’s being replaced by a far more powerful, engaging, and profitable paradigm: the "For You" Feed. User expectations have been fundamentally rewired by TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They no longer want to do the hard work of pulling information out of a database with precise queries. They expect a "lean-back" experience where a stream of perfect, relevant items is pushed to them.
If your primary discovery surface is still a static grid that requires a user to think like a data analyst ("search, filter, sort, repeat"), you are running a Blockbuster Video in the age of Netflix.
From Transactional Chore to Addictive Discovery
The difference between these two models is profound.
- The Search-First Model is a chore. It's transactional. A user comes with a specific need, and your goal is to help them complete that task as quickly as possible. It actively discourages browsing.
- The Feed-First Model is an experience. It's about discovery and delight. A user opens the app not just to buy, but to browse. They are entertained, their tastes are learned, and they discover items they never would have thought to search for.
The business impact is a game-changer. By shifting to a feed, you're not just improving your UI; you're creating a powerful engagement flywheel:
- A feed is inherently more engaging, causing session duration to skyrocket.
- Longer sessions generate dramatically more behavioral data (swipes, pauses, saves).
- More data makes the underlying AI model smarter and more accurate.
- A smarter model surfaces even better recommendations, which makes the feed even more engaging.
This flywheel is the secret to TikTok’s dominance, and it's now accessible to you. With an API-first engine like Shaped, you don't need to spend two years and hire a team of PhDs to build this. You can get the "brain and plumbing" for a world-class feed off the shelf, allowing you to launch this transformative experience in a single quarter.
The question for every PM is no longer if they need a "For You" feed, but how quickly they can ship one.
Ready to build the discovery experience of the next decade, not the last one? Get in touch to see how an API-first feed can get you there faster.
