It’s going to be rocky today. Here is what I am doing (this is not financial advice):
Not check the charts or even this board every five seconds. My hands are diamonds but I am one anxious fuckin ape. My brain would freak out and make silly decisions if I’m glued to my screen waiting for these hedge fund dicks to manipulate the market. For my own sanity I choose to only check every couple hours.
Buy more of what I feel comfortable losing. When I do check, I won’t perceive drops as a bad thing. In fact, it’s good because this means I’m lowering my average cost. And when this thing fluctuates back up (which it will if we all hold out and dont give into scare tactics) I’ll have better returns.
Hold. Like most of you, I found out about this a bit late, so I bought in >$2 last week. Hence, I’m down overall. I only truly lost if I sell at a loss. Why would I want to do that when I see the potential of this thing? I put in what I’m comfortable losing, so why not see this run through?
Stay within reality. A lot of over exaggeration, false promises, lack of real information on this board. Don’t get me wrong I love the hype and enthusiasm, it’s good fuel. However, lots a new folks on this run and those are likely the ones to get swayed the easiest (no offense, this was me a few years ago). Bottom line is trust your gut, and don’t believe everything you read, or feel pressured to do anything outside of your comfort zone.
Again, this isn’t financial advice. Just sharing something that might resonate with other folks. Ultimately we are stronger together, and if we hold out we are so much more likely squeeze this and say fuck you to the hedge fund fucks. Good luck today.

Hello everyone! I want to share a personal project of mine and would like some feedback on the idea.
I am very much a noob player, I’ve played for a few years and definitely don’t consider myself an expert. Yet I’ve been working on a campaign story for quite some time and I’ve always had trouble with the settings so here is my plan.
I’d love to write and describe the world I’m building in a DnD campaign book like thing. Let me explain. In this book there would be the description of every town, the world map, and the population/races. You’d find the economy of the world, main religions, main events (festivals, etc etc), the diplomacy of the cities and pretty much the world description. I’d love to also add a NPC chapter where in every town there’s a list of major NPC and relevant people, who they are, what they do and what’s their status in the city/world.
Then, at the end, there would be a “build your campaign” chapter where I’d list important informations that can make building a campaign easier. Let’s say you wanted to play a campaign in a Vampire setting, I’d tell you where is the most likely spot for a vampire castle to be, how to get there, etc etc. Of course it’s impossible to do that for every setting/monster but having an already built world, outside of the Forgotten Realm, really helps me feel free to do what I want without spoilering other campaigns or ruining the lore of a pre existing world. Goblins? You’d find them here. Orcs? That way. Etc etc.
I’ll be doing this for myself but I’ve talked to a couple friends and they’d like to get their hands on something like that. What do you people think? What would you want to find in such a book if you had it? What were the things you needed the most when you created a home brew world for your campaigns? Besides a long list of NPC names to use when they players ask for a name of a random person lol
Ps: before anyone asks there are no money involved in this. Im doing it because i like it and enjoy the process lol I still would want it to turn up pretty good though.

I just watched the scene on Facebook but the app crashed. Here’s what I remember.
I’m looking for a movie about an assistant who was interviewing for a job. The interviewer is a chubby man who is serious. The interviewee is a brunette and very curvaceous woman. She enters the office with a lighthearted attitude and proceeds to tell jokes. She says I thought I was here to sell Girl Scout cookies the boss calls her funny but is unimpressed with her attitude. She says oh I’m funny that’s different. I usually get cute or hot and then she sticks out her tongue. The boss is still not impressed by her attitude.
Nonetheless, the boss moves the conversation on to her CV. She has moved around the banks quite a lot. She says that she wants to be free and he questions how she could be free in a bank.
Something escalates and he gets offended and says “do you think you can just walk in here and back your eyelids and get the job? Do you think I’ve fucked a pretty girl before?” Then he tell her to leave. She does so but whispers under her breath that “someone must’ve done a number on you”
He hears her and says what did you say to me?
She re-enters the office and says that she sees hate in him. He gives her the job and ask her to be loyal.

In today's competitive job market, HR professionals need more than just experience and qualifications to stand out. Personal branding has become a pivotal aspect of career development. By crafting a distinct personal brand, HR professionals can enhance their visibility, demonstrate their value, and connect with opportunities that align with their career aspirations. Here's how to harness the power of personal branding statements for hr professionals to elevate your HR career.
Define Your Unique Value Proposition
Every HR professional brings something unique to the table. Identify what sets you apart. Perhaps you have a knack for resolving conflicts, a deep understanding of diversity and inclusion, or a talent for implementing innovative HR technologies.
Showcase Your Expertise and Achievements
Highlight your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. This can be done through your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other professional platforms. Use metrics and specific examples to demonstrate your impact.
Build an Authentic Online Presence
Your online presence should reflect your professional persona. Share insights, industry news, and personal reflections on platforms like LinkedIn. Engage with other professionals by commenting on their posts and joining relevant groups.
Network with Purpose
Networking is not just about quantity but quality. Connect with individuals who share your interests and can help you grow. Attend industry conferences, webinars, and local meetups. Foster genuine relationships by offering your expertise and support.
Leverage Testimonials and Recommendations
Third-party endorsements can significantly boost your credibility. Ask for testimonials from colleagues, supervisors, and clients. Display these on your LinkedIn profile and personal website. Personal branding statements for hr professionals will be a boon for you.
Demonstrate Thought Leadership
Position yourself as a thought leader by writing articles, speaking at conferences, and participating in panel discussions. Share your vision for the future of HR and offer solutions to common industry challenges.

The smell of money... Tea, incense, and sweet foods... All of this to be found in FuMuCha. A tea shop in San Francisco Chinatown, FuMuCha was a safe place where immigrants and their descendants could coexist in peace. The Lees, a Korean immigrant family, moved in many years ago with their toddler son. Their son, Vincent Lee, was easily impressionable and very outgoing. He easily made friends because he was taught to help and be helped to survive. "Money isn't everything, but take the opportunity to live", his parents told him. His parents were smart, they befriended and learned Chinese culture to make life easier to start. Time passes, preschool, ESOL, elementary, then... Middle school.
A loud thud. Blood on the ground. The silence of fear... And trembling...
"Go back to your country!" "You're not welcome here!" "Look at this loser trying to be normal."
Vincent is on the ground, bloodied nose, bruised face, cracked ribs... "I'm... Sorry...". He regretted living. He had no purpose. Living day to day just like the other kids... Until they were taught world history. No matter what he did, the kids bullied him for being the same ethnicity of those who did terrible things or were under the foot of another. Nanking, The railroad, comfort women, the boxer's rebellion, the cultural revolution... He was blamed for all of that just for being born. Isolation, growing his hair out because he refused to go out. This torment lasted until 8th grade.
Vincent walked home from school... The last day of 7th grade, he heard something... "Hiya! Ha!". He turned to look. A man on the television, a weird hairstyle, funny clothes, but... Amazing fighting skills. Vincent immediately wanted to fight like him. He found someone... Someone who could save him from his hell. He used the last of his savings to buy all of the kung fu dvds he could. He spent all summer on his own watching, learning, training... To be like the men... No, the heroes, that saved his life. He found purpose. Being someone else was so... Different. But he needed to be. When he confronted those bullied him, they couldn't win... Vincent was like a bat out of hell. Sloppy techniques, but fast, dedicated... Eventually, with each opponent he defeated, he got a bit better each time... Less bruises, less bloody noses, but... More heart. Too much. His parents decided that America may not be safest... After all, Vincent attracted the attention of the underworld Chinese Mafia. They were going to induct him once he got into highschool because of his knack for violence... So they moved.
"Korea? Why? Why're we moving? I'm getting better, Ma! I'm strong now!" Vincent didn't understand... Not until his mom held him close and said, "that's right, you're very strong. You're my strong baby boy... But ma and pa are not like you... Make sure you protect us too, okay? Protect your family in Korea."
Vincent understood that his new hope wasn't meant for just him... Fighting? Is that all there is to power? No... There's gotta something out there that will teach him what it is to be strong... Something like four schools...

I wonder if the infertility issues and multiple miscarriages are the catalyst that altered Alicia’s mindset? The need to collect children and hoard ginormous amounts of food that could feed hundreds of people at one time. She already put her brother’s information out there about having mental health issues because he’s Bipolar. Did she not get enough attention growing up because the parents were really focused on the brother?
She chose to sell herself out and drag the poor kids along by signing up with a crooked management company. More than likely the first one that came along showing any interest and instead of doing some research she hopped right on board. They OWN her now. In every new video you can see the anger, wide eyed desperation and the life being sucked right out of her. The pressure to produce more and more content and engagement is getting to her and she can’t keep up this pace for much longer!
All that money that came pouring in and nothing to show for it but a commercial size dumpster in the front yard loaded with tons and tons of crap every week to take to the landfill for disposal. Why was remodeling, buying, or building a home to comfortably fit the whole family not a priority? If you aren’t saving money back to pay impending taxes you know you are going to have to pay (hence the $113,000 unpaid tax billI) I know she hasn’t opened a savings account for each kid to go to college or whatever they choose to do with it.
When it all comes crashing down and she can’t satisfy her shopping addictions, those kids will unfortunately be in for a rude awakening due to no fault of their own! A real parent does not exploit their children to feed their narcissism. When strangers have enough care to tell you ‘Hey, your child innocently saying or doing so-and-so is something that fuels perverts who download it and share it with thousands of other perverts’ you immediately do something about it. Why ignore and refuse to delete it? It’s a form of abuse!
Instead of taking constructive criticisms early on and changing up her ‘brand’ she stubbornly digs her heels in on the negative actions. Switching up her look getting bangs and wearing dresses just ain’t cutting it!!! The damage has already been done. According to social blade she is trending down and I’m here for it for those kids and their privacy!

i know none of you are going to see this so i will summon the mods NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER NIGGER LMAO THIS DUDE SAID NIGGER LMAOOOOO THATS SO FUCKING FUNNY HE SAID NIGGER LMAO THIS DUDE FROM FUCKING 4CUCK OR SOMETHING BRO? LMAO I SAW A POST ON TWITTER ABOUT A SCREENSHOT OF SOME TRANNY FROM 4CHAN TALKING ABOUT HOW HIS LIFE WAS MISERABLE SO HE WATCHED VTUBERS OR SOMETHING LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NIGGGER okay no wthayt i have your attention please unban me from jaiden sub reddit

Hey everyone! I've never made a post on reddit before so bear with me friends. This is also gonna be long because I physically cannot restrain myself from overexplaining.
Ok, SO me (24F) and my guy best friend (25M) have known each other since about sophomore year of college. Let's call him Tony alright. I met him through my college roommate and best friend, we'll call her Tina (Tony is Tina's cousin's husband's best friend). He went to a different college in a city about 2 1/2 hours away, but he came and hung out with his friend a lot and he lived with them during COVID. I'm a pretty socially awkward and shy person so it takes me a while to get comfortable around someone and be myself so I didn't really engage with him at first. It should also be mentioned, I've never been in a relationship or in love befoe; I've been on dates and done a thing or two here and there with some people, but I've always been shy so I'm kind of a late bloomer in the relationship aspect. He is not and he's been in relationships before and has experience doing the horizontal tango; an activity I do not have experience in!
Fast forward, tail end of junior year or beginning of senior year of college we start actually interacting and I open up a bit more. I then develop a small "schoolgirl" kinda type crush because he was a new friend and funny and nice, and I never really had any guy friends growing up so it was new to me and you know the daddy issues of it all. Ok so BOOM spring break senior year right (March 2022), we go on a vacation to NOLA with our friend group. My crush is in full swing at this point and during said trip, my bff Tina and I share a hotel room with Tony and his best friend Ted (sharing bc we are poor). So we get a lot of quality time and get a lot closer as friends. Skip to May 2022, we graduate college and my BFF Tina moves to the bigger city in the state we live in (where he lives) in June (we went to college in a small town). So, naturally I go to the city a lot to visit her and so in turn we start hanging with him more frequently since he's closer now. At this point, I'm over my crush and he's just my really good friend (I promise). Fast forward to December 2022, I move to the city as well and my bff Tina and I move in together so we see him even more, and he's spending nights at our place (on the couch). We get a lot closer and the main thing we do in our friendship is talk. He's a level 100 yapper, and I didn't used to be at all until we became friends honestly, but he just brings out the yap in me. We talk about anything and everything; we even argue about a variety of topics, but it's not with malice or rudeness at all; we're just talking. He's just genuinely the easiest person to talk to I've ever met; strangers just talk to him all the time.
So now we're gonna jump to December of 2023 (sorry for the jumping around, I'm an ADHD warrior). I've had mental health issues off and on since high school, but they got worse around this time. Around this same time, he started getting depressed as well as a few months prior he had been fired from a job and his car got towed amongst other things. My BFF is also going through it.We are all just going through some trials and tribulations lemme tell ya. So, we've all been leaning on each other emotionally pretty heavily lately. Recently, he spends multiple days in a row at our house. So, I've been working through the prior mentioned mental health issues these past months and I'm think I'm finally coming out the other side. I've actually been the happiest I've been in a very long time, but I'm also still struggling a bit because I feel as though my personality has changed drastically since this ordeal or maybe I'm finally feeling secure enough in myself to show my true personality idk, but in a nutshell I'm feeling open and brave which are qualities I don't have experience in whatsoever. As I'm finding myself, I think I'm also becoming more in touch with my feelings which is how I realized I had feelings for him, but anyways back to the nitty gritty. So I'm feeling all these new feelings and all, and my crush on Tony comes back with a terrible new twist: 100% real uncut feelings 😔. But, I am terrible at reading social cues and understanding other people's feelings so I genuinely can't tell if he feels the same or not. But, ever since I've realized my feelings, I've been noticing things more. Me, Tina, and Tony have always been very open with each other in the sense that we talk about anything and everything. We talk about sex, relationships, our bodies, etc. But, lately, I feel like him and I talk even more about sex and relationships and he makes more jokes or funny remarks about sexual or romantic things between us. To be fair, I have too (😝), so it may just be in response, but come on, it's to the point like, we jokin anymore?? So, the other day, I was joking about how I was gonna be a virgin at 40, and he said, "Nah, we'll figure something out before then." like what you mean by that?? And another time, we were riding in the backseat together, and the whole car was talking about eating a girl's kitty cat and I had made a joke about not knowing the feeling and he said, "What?? That's so sad bro" and then under his breath said, "we'll have to do something about it" like huh???? And I also have this crop top with butterflies on it that may be a lil revealing (🙈) that he complimented when he first saw me wear it. And now, whenever I wear it, he'll say something about it like, "Ohhh, return of the shirt" or something along those lines. Also a while back, I had told him about how my late grandpa would always sneak me Ho-Hos as a kid and how I missed him a lot, and in the next few days, he brought some over when he came to hang out like brooo 😩. He didn't say that was the reason or anything, but that would be a crazy coincidence I feel. He's also always showing me something on his phone like a video he thought was funny, a movie he liked, pop culture we talk about, music he likes, etc. He'll just appear in front of me with his phone 2.3 cm from my face saying, "look 👁👄👁". Also, we've both been talking a lot lately about how lonely we are and how we miss sleeping and cuddling with another person in the bed. I feel like I've been dropping hints, but I'm also scared to tip him off so the hints I think I'm dropping could be more like office friendly chit-chat in reality!
It should also be noted that after I got over my initial crush, I didn't find him attractive. I really didn't find him attractive when I had a crush tbh. He's definitely not my usual type at all; I'm a fat bi girl who usually goes for masc women or feminine men and he's a short skinny lil fella with a permed mullet 😭. I'm definitely not his usual type either which is another reason I have doubts about his interest in me. He usually dates skinnier girls. I'm finally okay with my body, but if you're a fat person, you know how absolutely anxiety-inducing it is thinking about shooting your shot and someone rejecting you because of your body. I don't think he would do that, but there's still that fear there. He's also mentioned recently how he doesn't care about looks and body and I'm like 🤨 you hinting at something?? Cause I've talked to him before about struggling with loving my body so he knows im self-conscious about it at times. I'm also hesitant because besides Tina, he's my best friend in the world. I would never want to do anything to jeopardize that friendship. I've been trying to get over it and/or ignore it. But, God, idk what to do anymore. It's driving me insane, and I hate that I'm looking for things and reading into things. And I feel like I'm acting weird or changing my behavior which sucks cause it's hard to control cause I'm nervous. But, I really don't think it's all in my head. I don't even know if I want to pursue anything and change our relationship forever, but I feel like I'm going crazy. If anyone has any insight or advice, it would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch!
TL;DR: I (24F) think I'm in love with my guy best friend (25). We met when I was 20, and I think he may be flirting and secretly feel the same, but I truly can't tell. We hang out almost everyday, but I don't want to be seeing things that aren't really happening. I also don't want to ruin our friendship. I would really just like some insight on the situation or advice on how to tell if he's also interested. TIA! 🫶

Apple TV+ is one of the strangest streamers out there, with almost no licensed TV or film content and a small number of originals. That makes the best movies on Apple TV+ easy to find. There simply aren’t that many! Apple is clearly taking a “quality over quantity” approach, with its money spread across genres and targeted at making its subscribers (many roped in with a deal that came with one of the company’s tech products) treat it like a real contender. It also helps that it’s only $4.99 a month, or free for a year if you’ve just purchased a new (and eligible) device.
With films from up-and-comers like Minhal Baig, arthouse favorites like Sofia Coppola and Werner Herzog, some A-list music docs, one of the best animated movies of the 2020s and Martin Scorsese’s latest, Apple TV+ is actually making the case that it belongs in the conversation alongside the more established services. As long as it keeps adding good movies to its roster, that is. It recently snagged a few critical darlings like Killers of the Flower Moon and Wolfwalkers.

10. The Pigeon Tunnel

For a documentary about one of the most celebrated writers of spy fiction, The Pigeon Tunnel can seem—at first glance—deceptively placid. Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, the film features an extended conversation between David Cornwell, AKA John le Carre, and Oscar-winning docmaker Errol Morris. It’s just that. Two people talking, with Morris off-screen, their parrying question-and-answers broken up with archival images and re-enactments of Cornwell’s past, as well as snippets from the classic movies or TV adaptations based on his spy universe: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and A Perfect Spy.

9. Hala

Writedirector Minhal Baig’s Hala is an intimate coming-of-age drama held up by its personal writerly touches and a star-making turn from Geraldine Viswanathan as the title character. Hala’s struggling with the same kinds of things we normally see high school characters struggle with: What to do after graduation, how to manage a relationship with her parents that’s not quite adult and not quite childish, and (of course) boys. Viswanathan’s understated quiet and the warmth in which the situations are shot (almost always centered on her face)—be they at a family dinner or a walk in a Chicago park or a reading of a high school English assignment—make the dramatic ricochet of Hala’s minor rebellion rattle us all the harder.

8. Boys State

The tendency to read too much into Boys State as a representative of American politics—contemporary, functional, broken and otherwise—doesn’t quite line up with the event itself, in which every year the American Legion sponsors a sort of mock government sleepaway camp in Texas for high school boys (girls get a similar program of their own), where attendees join parties, run for office, craft platforms, run campaigns, hold debates, then ultimately exercise their right to vote.

7. On the Rocks

Sofia Coppola’s new movie On the Rocks starts out as a story of possessive fatherhood, with Felix (Bill Murray) narrating to his teenage daughter, Laura: “And remember, don’t give your heart to any boys. You are mine until you get married. Then you’re still mine.” The girl laughs off the declaration as a jape, which turns out to be a catastrophic tactical mistake. In her womanhood, Laura (Rashida Jones), does indeed get married to a man, Dean (Marlon Wayans), and they have two beautiful daughters of their own, eldest Maya (Liyanna Muscat) and youngest Theo (Alexandra Mary Reimer).

6. Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You

The black-and-white behind-the-scenes documentary accompaniment to Bruce Springsteen’s album of the same name, Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You is a beautiful and companionable tour through the music and its making from an American master. Director Thom Zimny buys into the album’s concept, which focuses on just how long Springsteen’s been at this thing. Poignant juxtaposition with archival footage and pictures emphasizes just how long the E Streeters have been at this—and reminds us of who and what was lost along the way.
Also Read: The Last Duel

5. Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds

Werner Herzog will show you multiple clips from Mimi Leader’s Deep Impact for no other reason than because he likes them, he finds them well-done and evocative—he says as much in that even-keeled, oddly accented voice over—then soon after chastise “film school doctrine” when complimenting a field video shot by a South Korean meteor specialist in Antarctica. Like Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin, his documentary from earlier in the year, Fireball (co-directed with Clive Oppenheimer, with whom he made 2016’s Into the Inferno) is less about what it’s about (meteorites, shooting stars, cosmic debris—and the people who love them) than it is about Werner Herzog’s life, which is his filmography, which is a heavily manipulated search for ultimate truth.

4. CODA

Sometimes a movie so successfully plunges you into its world that it completely engulfs you in a lived-in experience. From the gorgeous, scenic opening moments of CODA, you can almost smell the Atlantic salt air and pungent scent of the daily catch. The movie transports you to Gloucester, Massachusetts and lovingly drops you into the life of one family. Seventeen-year-old Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is what the title of the movie refers to—a child of deaf adults.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

We could get into plenty of arguments over which Charlie Brown animated special is best, but A Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite pull of the bunch. Charlie Brown’s confrontation with the Christmas season’s commercialism (back in 1965 no less) and a sad little fir tree make this a cartoon classic, as the ultimate funny-pages shlimazel suffers endless social indignities (no Christmas cards) and the holiday blues.

2. Wolfwalkers

Wolfwalkers is filmmaker and animator Tomm Moore’s latest project out of Cartoon Saloon, the animation studio he co-founded in 1999 with Paul Young, and the capper to his loosely bound Irish folklore trilogy (begun with 2009’s The Secret of Kells and continued with 2014’s Song of the Sea). At first blush, the film appears burdened with too much in mind—chiefly thoughts on everything from English colonialism to earnest portraiture of Irish myths, the keystones of Moore’s storytelling for the last decade.

1. Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese has made a career telling stories that tackle issues of justice, retribution and betrayal. From his overt and poetic crime films, through to his dark comedies, religious parables and character pieces, he has long been drawn to stories where the ambiguities of life collide with the complexities of survival, and where day-to-day choices result in consequences sometimes obvious, and sometimes far more subtle and insidious.

Loom is impressive: It went from nothing in 2016 to a $975m acquisition in 2023. And it’s one of the few B2B tools that became a generic term: Even for non-Loom screen recordings, people say “Send over a Loom”.
One reason for that: The product is inherently viral. You receive a Loom video, watch it and can then sign up yourself.
These flows are great, but they only work if your onboarding is on point. There’s no salesperson showing you around. The product itself needs to do all the heavy lifting.
That’s why I analyzed Loom’s onboarding screen by screen. Here are a few cool tactics you can steal:
Outcome-based copy
It’s easy to think you’re done with the needing to convince users once they’re on the signup screen. But you’re not. Users drop off at every stage of the signup process.
That’s why I love that Loom doesn’t just use “Sign up” or something generic as the headline—but leads with the outcome users want. Instead, they use: "Record your first Loom video in seconds".
Too many companies write/design for someone who takes their time and is highly motivated. But a lot of the time, users are stressed, on the way home or have a screaming baby next door.
You need to design for THOSE users—and that includes keeping their motivation high by putting their intent front and center.
The pre-filled checklist
You’ve seen onboarding checklists. Maybe even shipped one. Loom has one too. But they use a little hack here: They pre-fill a few things you’re required to do during onboarding.
Instead of looking like this:

1. Step 1
2. Step 2
3. Step 3

It looks like this for new users:
1. Step 1

1. Step 2
   
2. Step 3
   

It’s a quirk in human psychology that we’re more likely to complete something we’ve started than we are to start something new (nerd alert: This is called the Zeigarnik effect). Loom leverages this by pre-checking some of the fields.
The optional product tour
Ever sign up for a new product and be forced to take a 20-step, 5-minute product walkthrough before using the 30-second feature you signed up for? It’s annoying and users hate it.
Users are more likely to complete experiences they initiated (obviously). Loom does this well. When you’re in the dashboard for the first time, they offer you a tour instead of forcing you to take it.
When you first get into the dashboard, you get a choice:
a) Explore by yourself
b) Take a product tour I love this onboarding practice because they let users self-direct their experience instead of forcing them on experiences some product manager decided they should see.
If you want to see more of Loom’s onboarding tactics (and a visual breakdown of the full flow), I created a public, interactive Miro board with each screen annotated: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKSfiBv8=/ I also wrote an in-depth article if you prefer that format: https://commandbar.com/blog/loom-onboarding-case-study

As a grown man, I hate blaming my parents for issues I have. Compared to so many horror stories, my childhood, parents and family were wonderful. In general, I try to believe that people do the best they can with the resources they have and rarely have true malicious intent. Unfortunately, there is one “childhood trauma” that I am stuck with and I don’t see any way to get over it.
For as long as I can remember, my boomer parents and gen x siblings would absolutely torture me about girls. Like every girl I ever came into contact with from preschool on I would get the “oh that’s your giiiirrrrlllfrieend” crap. I was a sensitive, people-pleasing kid and this really bothered me. To make matters worse, My family had the awful habit of “making fun” of, quite literally, anyone on the planet. Too rich, too poor, imperfect physical features, race, ethnicity, religion, different style clothes, different interests or hobbies, nobody was safe.
I went through adolecence and young adulthood mostly terrified to interact with women. Just now am I getting to the point where I have actual platonic female friends. School dances and prom were major sources of stress. I had whole relationships in high school and college that I kept secret from my family, including a 3 year relationship with who I now consider to be the “love of my life.” How awful must these young women have felt that I was hiding them from my family? I’ll never forgive myself.
After college, I moved back home (see people pleaser comment above). A month later my longterm girlfriend broke up with me. Why? Because I was still hiding her from my family. I certainly can’t blame her and I hope she is living the life she deserves.
A hazy, drunken, depressed and miserable 7 or 8 years then ensued that frankly I’m lucky I survived. I was a total wreck on the inside but put together enough on the outside so as to not worry anyone. Good job, remained in shape, outwardly I was just a fun, drunk, party guy in his 20’s. No relationships. Any dates were to a bar. Very rare sexual encounters were risky, drunken, one or few night stand situations.
At 29 I started dating my now wife. After a few months of secret dating I fought through and introduced her to my family. I’m grateful that my wife pulled me out of the abyss. After a few months of dating I finally got my own apartment and started to live as an actual adult. We got engaged at a year and a half and married at two years. We’ve been married for 10 years. We have a house and two wonderful children. My thirties were far better than my 20s and 40’s are looking great so far. Except…..
Lately, I have not been able to shake feelings of regret or what might have been. While we get along, our marriage is like a business agreement. It works. We’re busy, the kids are busy, we don’t or can’t take time for ourselves, we are both constantly engaged in jobs, cooking, dishes, laundry, cleaning, kids activities, etc. We both tackle everything and neither of us is ever sitting or relaxing. It never seems like we can get ahead of things. My wife is totally codependent and cannot handle anything on her own. She also may be a hoarder in the making. She was diagnosed with OCD as a child and is probably somewhere else on spectrum, terrible anxiety, too. I’ve made all adjustments to accommodate her needs. New, self-employed job so I can control the schedule, no hobbies or friends, I am always available for her needs. She refuses to get any outside help with her mental health. It’s all on me. She’s miserable, always mad at something or somebody(her family tells me this is her historic personality and she’s just like other family members), always sick, she has gained well over 100lbs and the health issues that go with that are starting to creep in. More for me to deal with! Sex life is dead. Totally vanilla when it does happen-missionary with shirts and socks on. Multiple times over the past 5 years we have gone 8-12 months without intimacy. Any attempts to discuss these issues as adults are met with rage and blaming everyone else. Her position is basically that I married her and just have to live with whatever. She also knows I’ll never leave the kids(I’m not saying that’s the right call for everyone but it’s the right call for me).
Here’s the thing- I can handle a lot with a smile on my face. I am longing for those relationships I had in early adulthood where my SO actually wanted me to be happy sometimes instead of only living to serve her needs. I can’t get these ghosts of girlfriends past out of my head. Every single night I am having vivid dreams about them sexual and otherwise. Marriage with kids is a lot different than college relationships so who knows what could have been. For me, the unknown is what haunts me.

I want to preface this by saying I’m sure there are ways that co-op can be fun, but it just seems lesser.
I’ve tried to play this game with friends on multiple occasions now and every time it’s just been disastrous. There’s a few reasons why I believe it is.

Companions:
My biggest issue is how companions meld in, this game is first and foremost it’s characters imo, the reactivity and relationships with the cast are what make this great (imo of course). When you’re playing co-op that is lessened significantly, won’t only does your party limit mean that you only have 0-2 companions but it also works in such a way that they’re connected to only one specific player, which leads to another issue I’ll address soon. So you end up with a bunch of party members who don’t have character and/or aren’t even present when in dialogue, it just feels like a watered down version of the game.
2.
Someone is the Protagonist:
Leading on from the last issue is this. People will be left out, whether it’s because someone has higher charisma or whatever the cause it’s very likely one character will start to take the lead. When this happens you’ll probably choose to assign them the most companions so that you can see the most content and then this bleeds into combat as well, where one person ends up controlling more than the others. Also the need to strategise in combat makes it feel like you all just take turns to follow a pre thought out plan instead of being spontaneous and actually individual.
3.
Different Mentalities:
People have different ways of playing games. This isn’t the biggest issue in my opinion, I mean it’s probably something that should be discussed beforehand but I found maybe only one of my friends wanted to play the game as slowly and in depth as I did. One was running ahead, activating all the fights and encounters while we were ten miles back. I get this more an issue of who you play with but it seems hard to get a group of people who all play the same way.
TLDR:
The game just feels like a worse version of itself in coop and not by an insignificant margin either. I love this game and it deserves its awards but I do find it odd that it won best multiplayer game when in reality it’s the best game that just happens to have a multiplayer mode.

Loom is impressive: It went from nothing in 2016 to a $975m acquisition in 2023. And it’s one of the few B2B tools that became a generic term: Even for non-Loom screen recordings, people say “Send over a Loom”.
One reason for that: The product is inherently viral. You receive a Loom video, watch it and can then sign up yourself.
These flows are great, but they only work if your onboarding is on point. There’s no salesperson showing you around. The product itself needs to do all the heavy lifting.
That’s why I analyzed Loom’s onboarding screen by screen. Here are a few cool tactics you can steal:
Outcome-based copy
It’s easy to think you’re done with the needing to convince users once they’re on the signup screen. But you’re not. Users drop off at every stage of the signup process.
That’s why I love that Loom doesn’t just use “Sign up” or something generic as the headline—but leads with the outcome users want. Instead, they use: "Record your first Loom video in seconds".
Too many companies write/design for someone who takes their time and is highly motivated. But a lot of the time, users are stressed, on the way home or have a screaming baby next door.
You need to design for THOSE users—and that includes keeping their motivation high by putting their intent front and center.
The pre-filled checklist
You’ve seen onboarding checklists. Maybe even shipped one. Loom has one too. But they use a little hack here: They pre-fill a few things you’re required to do during onboarding.
Instead of looking like this:

1. Step 1
2. Step 2
3. Step 3

It looks like this for new users:
1. Step 1

1. Step 2
   
2. Step 3
   

It’s a quirk in human psychology that we’re more likely to complete something we’ve started than we are to start something new (nerd alert: This is called the Zeigarnik effect). Loom leverages this by pre-checking some of the fields.
The optional product tour
Ever sign up for a new product and be forced to take a 20-step, 5-minute product walkthrough before using the 30-second feature you signed up for? It’s annoying and users hate it.
Users are more likely to complete experiences they initiated (obviously). Loom does this well. When you’re in the dashboard for the first time, they offer you a tour instead of forcing you to take it.
When you first get into the dashboard, you get a choice:
a) Explore by yourself
b) Take a product tour I love this onboarding practice because they let users self-direct their experience instead of forcing them on experiences some product manager decided they should see.
If you want to see more of Loom’s onboarding tactics (and a visual breakdown of the full flow), I created a public, interactive Miro board with each screen annotated: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKSfiBv8=/ I also wrote an in-depth article if you prefer that format: https://commandbar.com/blog/loom-onboarding-case-study

This is a really minor occurence but me, being me, spiraled into a whole train of thought based on it.
This afternoon, I walked into my room to do.. something (I forgot what lol) when I noticed the fan was on. I assume my mom put it on so the clothes she hung on the rack would dry faster, but the other day my dad said our electricity bill is high and that we need to use stuff that need electricity less (other than fans and aircons since we live in a pretty hot place.)
Disclaimer, I don't usually put the fan or aircon on since I don't really feel heat or cold much so I have the natural habit to switch a fan or aircon off, but then I thought about the fact that my mom probably put the fan on to dry the clothes. Obviously, I was conflicted because what she said was the opposite of what my dad had asked us to do, but the clothes seemed pretty dry so I ended up switching the fan off.
Now, the verse in Ephesians where Paul says, "Children, obey your parents..", but this instance got me thinking - what do you do when your parents' instructions contradict the other?

Writer's Block? Befriend the Beast: Pro Tips to Turn Blockades into Bestsellers (With Prompts So Crazy They Might Work)

Ah, writer's block. That ever-present nemesis, the blank page's evil twin, the creativity-sucking gremlin that haunts every writer's dreams (or lack thereof). But what if I told you writer's block isn't your enemy, but a misunderstood ally? A twisted muse, a forced sabbatical from the mundane, a chance to shake things up and unleash your inner writing gremlin in the most productive way possible?
Befriending the Block:
Professional authors know the struggle is real. Here's what they say about turning blockades into stepping stones:

• Embrace the Pause: Jodi Picoult: "Writer's block is a sign that something isn't working. Step away, recharge, and come back with fresh eyes."
• Declutter Your Mind: Neil Gaiman: "Sometimes you have to let go of an idea to make space for a better one."
• Experiment, Even If It's Weird: Haruki Murakami: "Don't be afraid to try something strange. The most original ideas often come from unexpected places."

Now, let's get insane with prompts that will have your muse doing a double take:
1. Genre Blender: Combine two wildly different genres. Write a historical romance with zombies, a cyberpunk detective novel set in ancient Rome, or a space opera with a grumpy cat detective as the protagonist.
2. Alternate Reality: Imagine your story taking place in a world obsessed with something ridiculous. Think "everyone communicates only through emojis" or "unicorns are the primary mode of transportation."
3. Flash Forward, Way Forward: Skip to the very end of your story. Write the final scene, then work your way back, filling in the gaps with the most outrageous plot twists imaginable.
4. Dream Weaver: Describe a bizarre dream in excruciating detail. Then, analyze it like a cryptic message from your subconscious, using it as the foundation for your story.
5. Character Chaos: Write a scene where your characters are forced to switch bodies (think Freaky Friday, but with your characters). How does it change their perspectives? What hilarious misunderstandings ensue?
6. Found Object Frenzy: Grab the weirdest thing you can find (rusty spork, deflated balloon animal, taxidermied squirrel) and write a story centered around it. Bonus points for incorporating its bizarre history.
7. Unsolved Mystery: Choose a real-life unsolved mystery (Jack the Ripper, the Bermuda Triangle) and write a fictional account from the perspective of the perpetrator or a hidden witness.
8. Headline Hijinks: Rip a random headline from the news and turn it into the most outlandish story you can imagine. Aliens behind the stock market crash? Sentient self-driving cars waging war on pigeons? Go wild!
9. Animal Antics: Write your story entirely from the perspective of an animal character. A grumpy cat narrates a love triangle, a wise old owl dispenses philosophical advice, a hyperactive squirrel chronicles a daring heist.
10. Time Travel Tango: Send your characters on a time travel adventure with a twist. They can't change the past, but their actions have unforeseen consequences in the present. Think butterfly effect on steroids.
Remember, these prompts are just springboards. Let your imagination run wild, embrace the absurd, and don't be afraid to delve into the depths of your weirdness. You never know what hidden gem you might unearth from the rubble of writer's block. So, unleash your inner gremlin, write with abandon, and remember: sometimes, the best stories are born from the most unexpected places. Now get writing, you beautiful block-busting wordsmiths!

Loom is impressive: It went from nothing in 2016 to a $975m acquisition in 2023. And it’s one of the few B2B tools that became a generic term: Even for non-Loom screen recordings, people say “Send over a Loom”.
One reason for that: The product is inherently viral. You receive a Loom video, watch it and can then sign up yourself.
These flows are great, but they only work if your onboarding is on point. There’s no salesperson showing you around. The product itself needs to do all the heavy lifting.
That’s why I analyzed Loom’s onboarding screen by screen. Here are a few cool tactics you can steal:
Outcome-based copy
It’s easy to think you’re done with the needing to convince users once they’re on the signup screen. But you’re not. Users drop off at every stage of the signup process.
That’s why I love that Loom doesn’t just use “Sign up” or something generic as the headline—but leads with the outcome users want. Instead, they use: "Record your first Loom video in seconds".
Too many companies write/design for someone who takes their time and is highly motivated. But a lot of the time, users are stressed, on the way home or have a screaming baby next door.
You need to design for THOSE users—and that includes keeping their motivation high by putting their intent front and center.
The pre-filled checklist
You’ve seen onboarding checklists. Maybe even shipped one. Loom has one too. But they use a little hack here: They pre-fill a few things you’re required to do during onboarding.
Instead of looking like this:

1. Step 1
2. Step 2
3. Step 3

It looks like this for new users:
1. Step 1

1. Step 2
   
2. Step 3
   

It’s a quirk in human psychology that we’re more likely to complete something we’ve started than we are to start something new (nerd alert: This is called the Zeigarnik effect). Loom leverages this by pre-checking some of the fields.
The optional product tour
Ever sign up for a new product and be forced to take a 20-step, 5-minute product walkthrough before using the 30-second feature you signed up for? It’s annoying and users hate it.
Users are more likely to complete experiences they initiated (obviously). Loom does this well. When you’re in the dashboard for the first time, they offer you a tour instead of forcing you to take it.
When you first get into the dashboard, you get a choice:
a) Explore by yourself
b) Take a product tour I love this onboarding practice because they let users self-direct their experience instead of forcing them on experiences some product manager decided they should see.
If you want to see more of Loom’s onboarding tactics (and a visual breakdown of the full flow), I created a public, interactive Miro board with each screen annotated: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKSfiBv8=/ I also wrote an in-depth article if you prefer that format: https://commandbar.com/blog/loom-onboarding-case-study

“The past and the future, considered apart from the consequences of their content, are empty as a dream, and the present is only the indivisible and unenduring boundary between them.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer, The World As Will And Idea

In Chapter 3, it's revealed by the medical records disk that Isa's name is shorthand for "Isolde." I wasn't familiar with this name, but I felt it was distinctive enough that there had to be some meaning behind it, so I did some digging.
One use of the name "Isolde" that caught my attention was that it is the name of a facility at CERN- the ISOLDE or Isotope Separator On Line DEvice, used to produce and separate radioactive isotopes of elements for research purposes. Given the game's frequent use of motifs relating to nuclear science and the health risks of radiation, it felt too specific to be incidental. Still, there wasn't much meaning I could derive from it, but I thought it was interesting enough to be worth pointing out.
The most prominent instance of that name is from the story of Tristan and Isolde, a celtic legend and a romantic tragedy often described as a precursor to Romeo and Juliet. There are many versions of the story told across different times and cultures, but given the game's many references to Romantic Era art from the German speaking world such as Schubert's Serenade and Böcklin's Isle of the Dead, I'm inclined to think it's specifically referencing Richard Wagner's opera "Tristan and Isolde". I'll give a quick synopsis here and analyze the parallels that I think may reflect Isa's role in the story. (To avoid confusion, from now on I will only use 'Isolde' to refer to the character from Tristan and Isolde while 'Isa' will refer to the one from Signalis, unless otherwise stated.)
It begins with Isolde on a ship, being escorted by the knight Tristan, from Ireland to Cornwall to marry Tristan's uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. It is an arranged marriage she is not keen on going through. In a fit of rage, she curses the ship, hoping it sinks and takes all of them with it, particularly Tristan. After learning that Tristan killed her original fiancé, she issues him an ultimatum that she will not willingly leave with him until he drinks with her as an atonement. In truth, she is planning to poison the both of them, and he suspects as much, but in an attempt to prevent this, her attendant replaced the poison with a love potion.
Though she ends up marrying King Mark between the first and second act, Tristan and Isolde can't ignore their passionate love. They realize the only time they can safely pursue their relationship is at night, when the King and the court aren't watching. As their patience for the night grows thinner, they realize the only way to realize their love is through the eternal night: Death. But at the same time, they are caught together by the King and his attendant. Without even attempting to explain his betrayal, he asks Isolde to follow him into death and impales himself on a sword.
In the third act, Tristan partially recovers from the suicide attempt but remains delirious. At the sound of a shepard's pipe in the distance, he reflects on the death of his parents, believing the pipe to be death now calling to him. He laments drinking the potion and how it led him to live a life of madness desiring something that can never be. He dies in Isolde's arms and she follows him into death. As the King arrives to the scene, Tristan's servant kills the King's attendant in revenge and then himself. Amidst all the death, the king reveals he had learned about the love potion and had simply come to offer his blessing to Tristan and Isolde, and the story ends with them finally realizing their love in the afterlife.
In writing this adaptation of the classic story, Wagner was reportedly inspired by the work of Arthur Schopenhauer, particularly his work "Die Welt ais Wille und Vorstellung" or "The World as Will and Representation." In "The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy", author Bryan Magee identifies Wagner's use of day and night as respective metaphors for "phenomenon", the aspects of the world we can perceive and "noumenon", the fundamentally unknowable reality beneath it. Both concepts were first named by Immanuel Kant, but Schopenhauer further argued that the gap between them is the cause of misery and suffering for all sentient beings; our individual pursuits and efforts to move towards a more personally favorable 'phenomenon' cannot be reconciled with a fundamentally uncertain state of the world and its other inhabitants. That to fulfill one desire requires the quashing of ten others. Illustrating this, he writes:

"...he saw an immense field entirely covered with skeletons, and took it to be a battle-field. However, they were nothing but skeletons of large turtles five feet long, three feet broad, and of equal height. These turtles come this way from the sea in order to lay their eggs, and are then seized by wild dogs... with their united strength, these dogs lay them on their backs, tear open their lower armour, the small scales of the belly, and devour them alive. But then a tiger often pounces on the dogs. Now all this misery is repeated thousands and thousands of times, year in year out. For this, then, are these turtles born. For what offence must they suffer this agony? What is the point of this whole scene of horror? The only answer is that the will-to-live thus objectifies itself."

Returning to Signalis, this quote immediately calls to mind the first-person Shores of Oblivion scene, in which skulls are buried and littered across the sand, and a quote from one of the nearby scattered papers:

we should have never left
the primordial soup
only through death can i escape
the call of the one who rules
above all life

Tristan and Isolde, realizing that their personal passions were irreconcilable with the interests of the material world they were in, concluded the only answer was to leave it behind altogether, so they made a death pact. A "promise", if you will. So upon finding Tristan dead, Isolde takes her own life. Much like how our Isa, who upon losing hope of being able to find Erika in the living world, disintegrates.
Another related theme connecting these stories is the lamentation of fate. Just as Isolde prays for the ship carrying her to her destiny to sink with her on it, and as Tristan regrets drinking the potion that led him to a life of desire for something that could never be, two early game quotes from Isa show that she is seeking Erika not just with love and concern but with regret for how they left things:

"Erika, if you find this note, despite everything that's happened. I've come to look for you."
"Have you ever wondered if you're speaking to someone for the last time without knowing? I wish I could go back, so I could say something else."

The details of this regret are deliberately ambiguous. It sounds like they had a fight or falling out, but 'everything that's happened' implies a deeper conflict- a disagreement or choice that they couldn't reconcile. Something important enough that it took Isa away from her sister, yet also something she regrets so greatly that she would take it all back just so she can see her sister one more time.
As Schopenhauer said, "A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants." The great tragedy at the center of Tristan and Isolde is that even if we have control of our actions, we are at the mercy of the desires we were given by fate. It's a theme that permeates not just Isa's story, but Signalis as a whole.
Elster never chose to love Ariane. Had she not, she might have found the strength to end her suffering before it was too late. So she ran away from the "day" of Ariane's suffering into the "night" of keeping her in cryosleep.
Ariane never chose to love art. Had she not, she could have had a simple and comfortable life fitting in with her peers. So she ran away from the "day" of the Eusan Nation's surveillance and social ridicule into the "night" of Penrose-512.
Falke lost any hope of finding happiness after becoming burdened with emotions and identity that she could do nothing to satiate, and quite literally went from the "day" of life into the "night" of dreaming.
And then there's Adler, all but crushed by helplessness as he tries in vain to hold back the death of reality, as Elster and Isa continue to bring about its apparent decay in pursuit of their own wills. The relationship between Adler and Isa is interesting and I think quite important, as he's the only character besides Elster who gets direct screen time with her. As the game bluntly mentions the first time Adler meets Isa,

NONE OF US ARE HERE BY CHOICE (And No One Will Miss Us)

It's from this and the Schopenhauerian interpretation of Tristan and Isolde that I think Adler represents phenomenon while Isa represents noumenon.
Adler wishes to preserve the light of day. To awaken from the dream and return to shared experience of a common, coherent reality. One where what you see is what you get. Where experiences can be trusted, and results are predictable.
Isa wishes to live in the night. The world of passion and of choice. Valuing the experience of familial love over all else, even the world or truth, she continues to live only in pursuit of another reality amidst the abyss of uncertainties, one where she made amends with her sister before it was too late, or never fell out with her at all. And when she finally accepts that she cannot find it or manifest it, much like her namesake, she concludes the "eternal night" is her last recourse.
There can be no perfect reconciliation between these two wills. It can never be day and night at the same time. And yet they do find themselves together- falling into the bottom of the mine. In the Nowhere, at the end of all things. At the sunset, the liminal space in between the night and day, between dreaming and waking. Because, one means nothing without the other.
To me that is the important take away from her story. That if we don't want to live in regret over the hand life dealt us- hating ourselves for being unable to fulfill the desires we were stuck with, before its too late, we must confront the question of which world we want to live in.
Is it truly better to have loved and lost then never loved at all? Is it truly better to have tried and failed than to never try? I don't want to believe the answer is no, but none of us can be certain for ourselves until we reason with ourselves honestly about why we struggle with the question in the first place- what the true value of each side of the coin is. Perhaps then we can accept what is beyond our control.
To quote Schopenhauer once more:

Every individual, every human apparition and its course of life, is only one more short dream of the endless spirit of nature, of the persistent will-to-live, is only one more fleeting form, playfully sketched by it on its infinite page, space and time; it is allowed to exist for a short while that is infinitesimal compared with these, and is then effaced, to make new room. Yet, and here is to be found the serious side of life, each of these fleeting forms, these empty fancies, must be paid for by the whole will-to-live in all its intensity with many deep sorrows, and finally with a bitter death, long feared and finally made manifest. It is for this reason that the sight of a corpse suddenly makes us serious.

Real and practical advice for single men - this works
I originally shared this as a reply to someone's post, then felt like a separate post would help more single guys interested in couples. I've been the male 3rd enough times to be able to share what actually works and is a step beyond the more generic advice of "be charming" or "be respectful". For all the single guys out there, good luck and here goes.
Mindset - you are part of their fantasy and there for her pleasure as a priority. You win when both he and she walk out thinking "Wow" without any yellow or red flags from you.
Here's my advice

1. THE MOST IMPORTANT BIT OF ADVICE - Talk to and engage the M half of the couple. Let him know you know your place in the 3some (i.e. you're there to help them have fun together). It's also a great opportunity to ask him what their fantasy is, what she likes, what he would like to see, and more. Hopefully, they've both talked about this a bunch and he can tell you about that, including any limits. He might even share something special you can do that will blow her mind. By engaging him, with respect, you can find all the help you need in making this work out well for everyone. You don't have to become his best friend, but the more he is comfortable with you, the more they both can relax and enjoy the experience together.
   
2. Realize you are part of THEIR fantasy and you will can be invited back if this works out well. So focus on making it work out well for them, being aware and responsive to their needs, what they are looking for. Single, attractive, respectful men are not as common as you might think. Finding one couple that you get on well with and getting invited back will open many doors for you, especially if they have friends or want to invite you to a party. So, focus on giving her pleasure and fun, even if you don't finish yourself. This is really important to remember - focus on her enjoyment.
   
3. Sometimes a couple will have a specific fantasy and want you to play a role like being the Dom to her. If you find that out, read up on it, get an idea on what you can do in your own style to play that role. Some couples really enjoy when the woman gets to live out her fantasy with another man, whether she wants to be a sub, or a Dom herself, or even really simple almost vanilla things like, doing a strip tease or being playfully teased. You don't have to be perfect or an expert, but realize your role in this interaction is to help them have fun living out their fantasy.
   
4. It should go without saying, but impeccable hygiene is a must. Be trimmed, clean, smelling good, fresh breath, and whatever else you need to do so that she doesn't get distracted. A nice light amount of cologne will work. My advice on cologne is to ask a female friend to pick one for you and then be very subtle with how much you use. Women's noses seem to pickup cologne more than you realize. If you don't have a friend or don't trust cologne being fresh and clean smelling from a shower is great too.
   
5. If necessary, drink an energy drink or coffee so you are bursting with energy when you guys get to the bedroom. That new person energy and stamina goes a long way to having her feel good, appreciated, sexy, wanted etc. You might be tempted to drink alcohol before hand, even just to loosen up. My advice would be NOT to drink.
   
6. Realize they might be nervous or not sure where to start. That's okay if you gently take the lead and help her relax. Gentle kissing, caressing and laying her down on the bed for you to go down on her is a good start. Don't worry too much though, once you get the ball rolling, just let nature take over. You're all there for the same reason, so just let things flow.
   
7. If you are meeting at your place, have a pile of clean towels for them to use. Also of course clean up your place, clean sheets on the bed, etc. Make sure your bathroom and shower are sparkly clean and spray some air freshener around. If necessary, open the windows and air your whole place out just to make things fresher.
   
8. Have bottled water and some sugary snacks. The water will keep everyone hydrated and people feel more comfortable when they drink from a water bottle they open themselves. Gatorade is great too. Sugar snacks will give you a short recharge on your energy (saw this on a porn set). Notwithstanding what I said above about skipping alcohol, having a bottle of wine or other alcohol works well as an icebreaker when the couple shows up. Still, one drink max for everyone is my recommendation for your best evening.
   
9. Before meeting, send sexy chat notes to her (with him in the same chat) to help build excitement in her mind and between them. Keep things subtle, share how excited you are, be playful and easy about it. Too many texts, getting too heavy or too graphic can ruin the mood. And as a general rule, don't send a dick pic. Just don't. You might be tempted to show off, but she can enjoy it when you two are together in person.
   
10. Check in with him, getting his permission in a friendly way, for anything you want to do that you haven't already talked about. You might find things unfolding naturally in new directions and he(and then her) will feel better when they see you check in with them. Remember, he's sharing his girl with you, the more he and then she trust you the better things will turn out.
    
11. Always respect what she says. If she doesn't like something stop. If she wants more of something or asks for something you haven't already talked about, then check in with him to make sure it's okay. Interestingly enough, he may ask you to do something she doesn't want or like. You know how it is with guys, sometimes they can get carried away. If this happens, the best answer is to respect what she says, and suggest something else instead. She will be happier, trust you more for respecting her voice and overall, they will have a better time.
    
12. When things are winding down, look for their cues that it's time for you to leave (if you are at their place) or for them to leave (if they are at your place). This is a good time to make sure they know where the towels are, that they can shower, offer them water, etc. You know, all the "how to be a good host stuff".
    
13. As they are about to go, you can share with them how much you enjoyed the evening and checkin with them, to see if they enjoyed themselves. If they did, you usually don't have to ask. A nice sensual kiss and a hug for her works. Next, it's REALLY IMPORTANT that you thank him for sharing. If you stop and think for a moment, he just shared the most important person in his life with you in a very intimate and private way. You got a gift from him. Be respectful and say thank you with honesty and heartfelt integrity. This can help him and her see that you have character and understand your role.
    
14. Make sure you know, respect and follow THEIR rules about communicating. In general, you can avoid problems by making sure you always communicate with BOTH of them. Sometimes, either she or he will text or call you separately. Just make sure that you ask, know and follow their rules about this. Also, if they do say it's okay for you to talk to each of them separately, it's best to keep the other person involved and aware when you do. This shows simple respect for each of them as individuals and their relationship. The same goes for meeting up with them as individuals. Know, respect and follow THEIR rules.
    
15. Performance issues: if you need to, take a small dose of viagra or cialis to help get over anxiety issues. But don't over do it if you haven't taken it before. You don't want to get too much of a headache or other side effects. One side effect of these meds is that they can also make it harder for you to finish. But don't worry about that because you focusing on her this time is the big win for you.
    

EDIT: Cardio FTW - being in great cardio shape pays dividends all around. Beyond aesthetics for your potential partner, increased stamina means you get less tired during your play time and can choose when to stop vs having to stop because you are badly out of breath. It can also help with exhaustion based performance issues. Last point is that when you click with someone, it's nice to be able to keep going just for their pleasure.

1. Last note - If things work out for you to meet and then you all have a good time, you can be the fuel for new passion and excitement for them and their relationship. In the least you can give them good memories. Maybe it can even develop into something long term.
   
2. Additional note about follow-up: After you leave or they leave, a short polite text thanking them both for a great time is a nice thing to do. Keep it short, simple and don't worry about setting up your next play time, instead just thank them. This gives them feedback that you enjoyed them and opens the door for them to share back to you, as well as ask you later for another play date. Realize that they might not get back to your right away and that's okay. They may have moved family, work or other obligations to make space for this date, and then have to catch back up with all those things the next day. If they had a good time with you and want more, they'll reach out.
   

If anyone else has advice, pls feel free to add it. Everyone wins when you do.
EDIT/UPDATE: For all those that found this helpful. Great! For those who gave feedback on how this advice doesn't work for you, cool. I just shared to be helpful. For those who think I'm implying that the woman is a possession, that's not the point. I actually paused when writing the section about the guy sharing his girl, I thought someone will take this wrong. Maybe it's a guy respect thing, but it's certainly not to imply any sort of ownership. For the people who think this is icky, I'm just trying to help single guys. If it doesn't work for you, you can ignore it. :) Last thought: this isn't the only way for people to do things. I shared to be helpful. Nothing more. No agenda, no service, no sales pitch. Just giving back to the community.
Edit #2: Added the point about follow-up text. Edit #3: Added the point about cardio.

Loom is impressive: It went from nothing in 2016 to a $975m acquisition in 2023. And it’s one of the few B2B tools that became a generic term: Even for non-Loom screen recordings, people say “Send over a Loom”.
One reason for that: The product is inherently viral. You receive a Loom video, watch it and can then sign up yourself.
These flows are great, but they only work if your onboarding is on point. There’s no salesperson showing you around. The product itself needs to do all the heavy lifting.
That’s why I analyzed Loom’s onboarding screen by screen. Here are a few cool tactics you can steal:
Outcome-based copy
It’s easy to think you’re done with the needing to convince users once they’re on the signup screen. But you’re not. Users drop off at every stage of the signup process.
That’s why I love that Loom doesn’t just use “Sign up” or something generic as the headline—but leads with the outcome users want. Instead, they use: "Record your first Loom video in seconds".
Too many companies write/design for someone who takes their time and is highly motivated. But a lot of the time, users are stressed, on the way home or have a screaming baby next door.
You need to design for THOSE users—and that includes keeping their motivation high by putting their intent front and center.
The pre-filled checklist
You’ve seen onboarding checklists. Maybe even shipped one. Loom has one too. But they use a little hack here: They pre-fill a few things you’re required to do during onboarding.
Instead of looking like this:

1. Step 1
   
2. Step 2
   
3. Step 3
   

It looks like this for new users:
1. Step 1

1. Step 2
   
2. Step 3
   

It’s a quirk in human psychology that we’re more likely to complete something we’ve started than we are to start something new (nerd alert: This is called the Zeigarnik effect). Loom leverages this by pre-checking some of the fields.
The optional product tour
Ever sign up for a new product and be forced to take a 20-step, 5-minute product walkthrough before using the 30-second feature you signed up for? It’s annoying and users hate it.
Users are more likely to complete experiences they initiated (obviously). Loom does this well. When you’re in the dashboard for the first time, they offer you a tour instead of forcing you to take it.
When you first get into the dashboard, you get a choice:
a) Explore by yourself
b) Take a product tour I love this onboarding practice because they let users self-direct their experience instead of forcing them on experiences some product manager decided they should see.
If you want to see more of Loom’s onboarding tactics (and a visual breakdown of the full flow), I created a public, interactive Miro board with each screen annotated: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVKSfiBv8=/ I also wrote an in-depth article if you prefer that format: https://commandbar.com/blog/loom-onboarding-case-study