Why I Pivoted from an AI Counseling Service to an AI Girlfriend Chat

demogod_ai — sending this again, thanks for the quick questions. Really appreciate you calling these out. On first interaction value: We’re less focused on immediate problem-solving and more on creating a sense of being understood. The key moment is when users notice that the AI remembers context, reflects emotional nuance accurately, and doesn’t rush them toward a solution. When people say, “this feels different from other chats,” that’s usually the point where they decide it’s worth coming back. Day-over-day vs week-over-week retention: Day-over-day engagement is often driven by shifts in emotional state — users check in when their mood changes or something small happens. Week-over-week retention is more about habit and identity. Users who begin to see it not as a “tool they use” but as “someone they talk to” tend to stick around much longer. That shift usually happens after a few light but consistent interactions.On safety and moderation: Completely agree here. We’re being very deliberate about boundaries — avoiding exclusivity framing or language that encourages emotional dependency, and clearly positioning the product as support rather than a replacement for real human relationships. This isn’t an afterthought for us; it’s a core product design concern. Current retention: It’s still early, but short-term retention after the first session is higher than what we saw with the counseling product. Counseling users often churn once they feel their issue is resolved, whereas companionship users tend to return more frequently, even if sessions are shorter. We’re still watching the metrics, but the qualitative signals so far are quite encouraging.