X's new 'Starterpacks' feature helps you find like-minded accounts
What's the story
In a bid to enhance user experience, X is introducing a new feature called "Starterpacks." The announcement was made by Nikita Bier, head of product at X. The move comes as a direct response to the popularity of Bluesky's "Starter Packs," which are curated lists of suggested users for people on the social network.
Feature details
A tool for discovering accounts
The main aim of the new "Starterpacks" feature is to help users discover accounts that match their interests. The categories covered by this feature include News, Politics, Fashion, Technology, Business and Finance, Health and Fitness, Gaming, Stocks, and Memes. However, unlike Bluesky's version where anyone could create and share packs on the platform, X has created its own lists internally.
Curation process
X's approach to curating 'Starterpacks'
Bier explained that the company spent months "scouring the world for the top posters in every niche and country" to compile its lists. This means that these packs are based on X's internal data rather than individual users' personal recommendations. The "Starterpacks" feature is expected to be available for all users in the coming weeks.
Past controversies
Platform's history with suggested user lists
Suggested user lists aren't new to X. The feature has been around since the platform's early days as Twitter. However, it was controversial as it significantly boosted users' popularity and follower base when added to the Suggested Users List. This led Twitter to revamp the editorially created list into one determined by algorithms in 2010 due to fairness concerns.
Industry trend
Other social apps adopting Bluesky's concept
X isn't the only social app to adopt Bluesky's idea for "Starter Packs." Meta's Threads started testing its own version in December 2024. These were curated lists created by individual users and shown when signing up or within the For You feed. Decentralized social network Mastodon has also been developing "Packs" for user onboarding, showing an industry-wide trend toward this feature.