Experimenting with Duo Labs and Hybrid Prompts
Labs that compare two people deliver twice the drama, but they require more thoughtful UX and prompt engineering. Here is what we learned launching Couple Toxic, Situationship Analyzer, and Friend Chaos.
1. Ask for asymmetric inputs
Instead of Name 1 + Name 2" we ask for Name + describe the vibe." Hybrid prompts produce better story material. Example: Jules + Eli, can t stop subtweeting each other." The model can now assign blame, not just calculate average chaos.
2. Display two energy meters
Couple Toxic uses mirrored meters so each person gets their own score. The bottom of the card shows a combined verdict. This resolves the common complaint that duo labs feel biased." In Friend Chaos we also include a wild card" label that can point to either participant, sparking debate.
3. Reward both players with credits
When someone shares a duo card we grant +3 credits to the initiator and +1 to the invited friend (using a simple `invite_id`). This increases viral spread because the second participant usually tries to defend" themselves with a new prompt.
4. Build a live queue
Duo labs work best with real-time pairings. Our queue lives inside Discord (#duo-queue). Users ping the bot with `!duo crushmatch` and the bot matches them based on availability. After both parties submit prompts, the bot posts the generated card and links to the blog post explaining how duo labs work.
5. Mind the moderation
Duo prompts invite sensitive data. We filter for phone numbers, last names, and workplace references before sending the text to the LLM. Anything that looks personally identifiable triggers a friendly error.
6. Offer rematch UX
After viewing a duo result we show two buttons: Run it again\" and Try a new lab.\" The first refills the inputs so users can tweak the prompt. The second takes them to related experiences such as Couple Toxic or Friend Chaos. This keeps sessions rolling.
7. Collect duo testimonials
Because duo runs involve friends, they often post reactions. We embed their quotes on the landing page and in the blog so newcomers see social proof that real people are screenshotting the chaos.
8. Track duo-specific metrics
Create a dashboard showing invite-to-run conversion, rematch rate, and average credits burned per duo session. When numbers fall we know it is time to seed new prompt examples or adjust UI copy.
9. Keep prompts safe but spicy
Write prompt examples that feel daring yet avoid harassment. Roommate who steals your chargers\" is fun; Coworker in accounting\" is not. We share these examples prominently so users mimic the tone.
Further reading