I've been dreading writing this... 🪞

An honest reflection of what happened to Mirour over the past 6 months.

Hey friends,

If you’re on this, you were probably part of something I built before.

The original Mirour. A platform for finding and sharing recommendations with people you trust. Like Reddit for shopping. And if you were here back in the Lutely days, you’re a real OG.

I still believe deeply in the mission behind that. Connecting over things we love and know. But a lot has changed since then.

And I wanted to tell you the real story, not the polished pitch version, the actual one. Because I think you deserve it, and honestly, I think some of you might be going through something similar right now.

Whether you keep reading after this or unsubscribe at the bottom, genuinely, no offense taken.

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The Existential Crisis

After launching the old version of Mirour, I ran a lot of tests and listened closely. A couple thousand of you on the platform, brands wanting in, newsletter engagement through the roof. But the data told a story I wasn’t ready to admit. It wasn’t sticky. People liked it, but nobody’s life was worse without it.

I had to face the facts. And then I had to face something harder.

I was craving being in the real world. Putting my phone down. Human connection. Choosing the coffee shop over the couch. Walking without earbuds. Going to the local store instead of clicking “same day delivery.”

And I was building something that pulled people further from it.

My entire goal was to get people on their phones as much as possible. More scrolling. More engagement. More screen time. My heart was somewhere else entirely, and I was building in the opposite direction.

So I did what any normal person would do: I had an existential crisis.

If you’ve ever felt that gap… between what you’re doing and what you actually care about… you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not a fun place to be. But it’s an honest one.

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Touching Grass

I needed to pivot or shut down. But first, I gave myself permission to explore.

And by “explore” I mean I carried around a notebook and asked every single person I talked to about every problem they’ve ever had.

I explored Age tech. Prop tech. Wellness. Food delivery. Yet nothing was exciting me.

But one thing kept pulling at me… the thing I was already doing in my own life.

I was going places. Physically showing up. Choosing the store, the coffee shop, the pop-up. And noticing that everyone around me was doing the same thing.

Sometimes the answer isn’t in the research. It’s in what you’re already drawn to. I just had to stop long enough to notice.

I started talking to brands and retailers: those with physical stores. Not pitching anything. Just asking: what’s your biggest problem right now?

And what I found surprised me.

These brands were scared. Rent is increasing, so they’re pouring money into social and ads, thinking awareness was the gap. But the real leak was in-store: people walking in, maybe buying something, and then disappearing forever.

I wanted to help these brands, so I decided to aggresively pivot Mirour.

Ironically, I’d left experiential marketing to get into tech. And here I was, coming full circle back to physical spaces. Funny how that works. Sometimes the thing you’re running from is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

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What I’m Building Now

Mirour is now an in-store platform for brick-and-mortar brands.

It helps stores unlock revenue from every customer who walks in, through digital experiences that are actually worth engaging with. A quiz that helps you find the right product. Staff picks that helps you cull down your choices. Basically all the things that these brands want to show every customer, but can’t every time.

Since Jan, I brought on two amazing co-founders with deep roots in brand and tech, and we’re running early pilots with stores right now.

At its core, Mirour is the same instinct and the same values as before: connecting people through trust. But instead of building for your phone, I’m building for the places you actually want to be. Supporting local. Helping great brands thrive.

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Why I’m Starting This Newsletter

Because the shift back to the physical world is real. And the brands building in that world: they deserve insight, community, and tools to make the most of it.

Touchpoints is a newsletter for brands in the real world (or anyone curious about this shift towards physical retail).

Each issue breaks down one dimension of what’s changing: the cultural forces, the business implications, and examples of the brands building physical experiences worth showing up for.

This is who we serve. This is why we do it.

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My Ask

It’s the same thing that changed everything for me.

Get outside. Touch grass. Connect with the people around you.

Go to that store you’ve been meaning to check out. Have coffee with someone in person instead of on Zoom. Walk without earbuds. Pay attention to how the spaces around you make you feel, and notice which ones make you want to stay.

That’s what started all of this for me. And I think you’ll feel it too. Whether you’re building a brand, pivoting a career, or just looking for something that feels more real, the answer might be closer than you think. It might just be outside.

If you’re still here, welcome to what comes next. Issue 01 drops tomorrow.

And if this isn’t for you anymore, that’s completely okay. Unsubscribe below, truly no hard feelings.

But if you know a brand building something in the physical world, forward this to them. They’re who I’m writing for now.

See you out there.

Loren 🪞

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