The Engineering Trap

Sleek screens. Every feature Facebook had, and more. Google+ wasn't launching a social network. They were engineering a better one.

They built perfectly. Nobody cared. Features don't create belonging.

The numbers seemed destiny-defining: 10 million signups in two weeks. One thousand dedicated employees. $585 million invested in perfection.

Yet by 2015, an uncomfortable truth emerged: while 540 million users had registered, fewer than 10% spent more than five seconds on the platform.

The engineering was flawless. The interface was beautiful. The features were superior.

And nobody cared.

Google's VP of Product later revealed their blind spot: People don't join social networks for better features. They join to connect with friends who are already there.

This engineering mindset fails spectacularly when human needs drive decisions.

This connects to Loop, Not Line - systems that work compound trust through connection, not features.

Superior technology doesn't inevitably win. Connection does. The Momentum Engine shows what actually creates stickiness.