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Apply Dunbar Number Principles to Help Users Prioritize Relationships

Feature Request

Allow users to visualize and organize their network using concepts inspired by the Dunbar number. The idea that people can maintain different levels of relationships (e.g., close, casual, acquaintance) based on cognitive and time limits.

For example:

Tier 1 (“Core 50”): contacts to keep in touch with quarterly

Tier 2 (“Extended 100”): semiannual check-ins

Tier 3 (“Outer circle”): annual or ad-hoc connections

This framework could help Dex users set realistic “Keep in Touch” frequencies, identify who belongs in which tier, and visualize relationship strength or recency at a glance.

Value:

Encourages more intentional relationship management

Prevents overcommitment by suggesting realistic touchpoint frequencies

Makes “Keep in Touch” feel more human and personalized

Posted by CJ ·
Status: Open2 comments

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Comments2

  • Mitchell Starrenburg

    •

    Apr 26

    Seconded.

    This could be quickly implemented by simply allowing us to label and order custom "Keep In Touch” periods.

    Bonus would be allowing us to set optional maximum amounts of people permitted in each tier, to force intentionality with how many people we’re committing to contact at each tier of frequency to ensure we don’t over-commit.

    • Dex Operations

      Team•

      Apr 29

      @Mitchell Starrenburg thanks for this feedback; curious if this proposal would make sense for you. I think the core tension here is that KIT may not directly correspond with relationship ‘strength’ or ‘quality’

      New field called “strength”:

      • Very High

      • High

      • Medium

      • Low (default for anyone with a last intearaction/LI connections/facebook friends/email/meet)

      • None

      Based on these fields we could create visualizations, as an example.