"Common People" - Black Mirror S7E1

You don't start out building dystopia.

You start with a dream.
To help someone. Maybe save a life.
Not growth. Not virality. Just impact.

It begins with something human.
“I want to help people.”
Real pain. Real need. Strong emotional pull.

So you build.
Scrappy MVPs.
Test empathy.
Pitch it as perspective-shifting. Maybe even healing.

Early adopters rave. Investors lean in. Retention climbs. Virality kicks.
So you optimise.

Empathy turns to entertainment.
Immersion becomes addiction.
Exploration turns into extraction.

“Total immersion” becomes your edge.
Richer data. Deeper sync. Sharper fidelity.
The product gets better. But better for who?

Then come the tiers.
Free. Plus. Premium. Ultra.
More access. More control. More fun.

Lower tiers don't get less.
They just get worse.
Ads. Friction. Withdrawal.

The customer's life becomes content.
Their pain becomes product.

Then the customer disappears.
No roadmap. No experience tracking. No consent.
Because they're not the customer.
They're the cost.

You're not evil. You're just in growth mode.
The sprint is full. The metrics are green.
Legal said yes. And besides - it's working.

Dystopia doesn't crash through the door.
It slips in quietly… while the dashboard stays green.