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Instagram launched a new messaging app! 🚨
This newsletter was brought to you byElevenLabsInstagram launched a new messaging app! 🚨
“Asking folks to install another app is a short term painful thing, but if we wanted to focus on serving this [use case] well, we had to build a dedicated and focused experience.” – Mark Zuckerberg (2014)
Instagram just launched a dedicated messaging app. The experimental app is called Direct, and it's available today on Android and iOS.
The courageous decision to launch a standalone messaging app could go down in history as one of the all-time greats, right alongside Apple removing the headphone jack, Hype pivoting to HQ Trivia, and Tesla expanding into iPhone accessories.
Only time will tell if Instagram's messaging aspirations will work out as planed. In the short-term, the only true measure of success is if 3 months from now, Facebook tries to acquire them again.
Instagram just launched a dedicated messaging app. The experimental app is called Direct, and it's available today on Android and iOS.
The courageous decision to launch a standalone messaging app could go down in history as one of the all-time greats, right alongside Apple removing the headphone jack, Hype pivoting to HQ Trivia, and Tesla expanding into iPhone accessories.
Only time will tell if Instagram's messaging aspirations will work out as planed. In the short-term, the only true measure of success is if 3 months from now, Facebook tries to acquire them again.
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Buffer just published a new post highlighting 7 key insights for building a career in marketing, including tips from Helena Price, Alexis Ohanian, and Tim Ferriss.
“Figure out what you’re good at and start helping other people with it. Give it away. Pay it forward.” – Naval Ravikant (Tip #6)
“Figure out what you’re good at and start helping other people with it. Give it away. Pay it forward.” – Naval Ravikant (Tip #6)
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So we’re just… talking to software now?

ElevenLabs has been the go-to for voice for a while. Now they've turned that expertise into agents that actually get things done. You set one up, it talks like a real person, listens, responds, and helps handle the task — support calls, bookings, whatever the job is. Not a demo, not a "press 1 for sales" situation. It's ready to deploy. Feels like one of those shifts where the interface quietly changes. Less typing, less clicking, more just saying what needs to happen and letting it play out.
The Leaderboard
Monday through Friday
Our ultra-fast Daily: Three takes on new products. Yesterday’s top ten launches. That’s it.