intentional friction with onboarding can signal a screening process, quality control, value, exclusivity. totally depends on the audience, but I’ve seen the same with many of my clients who have apps.

+1. I actually think the @dwr.eth DM requirement (@megbutton's "screening process") positions FC well for user retention:

new users are only users who were motivated enough to find and DM you (skin in the game + personal connection), wait for a response, and then set up a profile.

Agree that there can be ‘positive friction’ 

Also, downloading an app is a high-intent move (especially from TestFlight) so ppl are usually willing to go through a bunch of onboarding steps - even better when it helps personalize/improve the experience.