A go-to-market case study from my BeReal externship: positioning, competitive validation, and a stakeholder pitch for a proposed retention feature, built from research through a cross-functional recommendation.
I owned the full go-to-market cycle for a proposed BeReal feature: competitive research, user insight synthesis, positioning, cross-platform validation, and the pitch that carried it to a Proceed/Refine/Pivot decision. This is the kind of end-to-end ownership PMM roles ask for, running independently across research, messaging, and stakeholder communication.
Synthesized company and market data (Crunchbase, Sensor Tower, analyst reports) and benchmarked BeReal against Snapchat and TikTok on the retention mechanics driving each platform's MAUs.
Coded sentiment themes across both platforms using manual and AI-assisted analysis, cross-validating findings to isolate the single highest-leverage pain point worth solving for.
Reframed BeReal's streak mechanic around its authenticity pillars, deliberately positioning it against the gamified patterns used by Snapchat and TikTok rather than copying them.
Ran a cross-platform focus group and survey, then built an evidence-backed pitch translating research into a business case, closing with a clear recommendation for stakeholders.
"Constellation Streaks: the only streak that forgives you."
No badges, no rewards, no achievement pop-ups, a deliberate contrast to Snapchat and TikTok's gamified retention loops.
A missed day fades into the pattern instead of resetting to zero, directly answering BeReal's top-cited user complaint.
Built on BeReal's existing habit loop rather than importing a mechanic from a competitor, so it reads as native to the brand.
| Dimension | Constellation Streaks (BeReal) | Snapstreaks (Snapchat) |
|---|---|---|
| Failure state | Fades into a gap, streak survives | Resets to zero, hourglass warning creates urgency |
| Emotional tone | Calm, low-pressure | Panic-inducing, "you don't want to lose your streak" |
| Reward framing | No badges or achievements | Fire emoji, streak length as status signal |
| Tested reaction | "This just kind of shrugs about it." | "The hourglass makes you panic." |
Product Feature Comparison Table, plus clustered user sentiment themes for BeReal Streaks and Snapchat Spotlight (AI & manual findings, cross-validated).
Journey-mapped problem framing that fed directly into the PRD-lite: target user, MAU-oriented success metrics, and acceptance criteria.
Raw notes and transcript from a 6-person cross-platform test, synthesized into a report with a Refine recommendation.
8-slide stakeholder deck with speaker notes and a recorded 5-minute pitch walking Problem through Impact.