🍿 Rippple II: A New Home

[kcador (Kevin)]

Hey, I get why this raises questions. Let me clarify a few things.

First, Rippple didn’t take time away from Trakt. It’s something I’ve been building for ~8 years on the side, long before joining Trakt. That hasn’t changed. My role at Trakt is still my full-time focus.

Second, I’m not “in charge of everything Trakt” as a single person. We’re a small team working together across web, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, the API, the infrastructure, and the whole third-party ecosystem. All of that is a team effort, not just me.

On the “working with Trakt” wording, that’s intentional. I’m part of the team, not separate from it, and definitely not above it.

For Rippple becoming an official app: the goal is not to replace anything or shift focus away from the website. The web experience remains a core part of Trakt and continues to be actively worked on.

On conflict of interest: totally fair question. This was discussed and clarified before I joined. The goal is actually to strengthen the ecosystem by bringing a long-running app closer, instead of having it evolve independently in a different direction with an additional premium subscription. If anything, this simplifies things and makes the financial model clearer.

And finally, nothing about this means less focus on Trakt itself. If anything, being closer to both sides (first-party/platform + third-party/apps) helps make better decisions for Trakt across the board.

I know V3 has been a rough transition for some, and that probably amplifies concerns like this. That’s totally fair. The focus right now remains the same: keep improving things, fix what’s not working well, and move forward.

Happy to answer specific questions if you have them.

[LoganWolverineX]

Is it me or is mark 2 checking for new episodes at boot up sometimes taking longer than mark 1?

sometimes I would have to swipe down for it to finish checking for new episodes.

[Steffe73]

Correction Kevin
Ecosystem was………..

[kcador (Kevin)]

Both use the same piece of code and API endpoints to check for new episodes. This seems more to be a network/server (maybe cached vs non-cached) thing. I’ll keep an eye on it

[ImpaktNY48]

@kcador

First, Rippple didn’t take time away from Trakt. It’s something I’ve been building for ~8 years on the side, long before joining Trakt. That hasn’t changed. My role at Trakt is still my full-time focus.

How can this be true when we’re in a thread announcing Rippple being an official Trakt app? Work certainly needs to go into making this update, both from the app side and Trakt side.

And you made it clear in your post that it will be changing.

@kcador

After years of building Rippple as an independent project, Rippple II is now available on the App Store and becomes an official Trakt app.

The first thing you said. What changed? What’s “after” Rippple being independent?

@kcador

Rippple joining the official ecosystem simply makes sense in that context. It allows Rippple to evolve alongside Trakt, instead of orbiting around it from the outside.

Is this not clearly saying you will be working on Rippple alongside Trakt?

@kcador

Second, I’m not “in charge of everything Trakt” as a single person. We’re a small team working together across web, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, the API, the infrastructure, and the whole third-party ecosystem. All of that is a team effort, not just me.

On the “working with Trakt” wording, that’s intentional. I’m part of the team, not separate from it, and definitely not above it.

You manage the team and are the sole communicator regarding Trakt’s priorities and direction.

@kcador

For Rippple becoming an official app: the goal is not to replace anything or shift focus away from the website.

It says in the post

@kcador

Each of them has its own focus and style. Rippple continues to be the one centered on a native Apple experience on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with a few unique features and opinionated design choices to make it feel different.

You explain how it aims to replace.

@kcador

On conflict of interest: totally fair question. This was discussed and clarified before I joined. The goal is actually to strengthen the ecosystem by bringing a long-running app closer, instead of having it evolve independently in a different direction with an additional premium subscription. If anything, this simplifies things and makes the financial model clearer.

Kevin, what are were doing here. What’s happening.

Rippple is a side project and Trakt is your focus but here you are saying the opposite. Again!

Your focus is on Trakt but your work on Rippple was clarified during your onboarding process with the goal of bringing it closer. That’s a side project?

And what was discussed and clarified? Justin was ok with the conflict of interest? You’re not exactly painting him in a good light.

@kcador

instead of having it evolve independently in a different direction with an additional premium subscription

Instead? Kevin, this is how it should be according to what you claim! As something on the side that’s not your full time focus.

@kcador

If anything, this simplifies things and makes the financial model clearer.

You haven’t clarified anything about the financial model. My questions about it remained unanswered.

@kcador

I know V3 has been a rough transition for some

Some? Most of the feedback you are getting is negative.

@kcador

Happy to answer specific questions if you have them.

I do have them, and I’ve asked them.

What exactly does it mean for Rippple to be a Trakt app? VIP revenue is now going to you? Was there a financial transaction for Rippple to become Rippple II?

How are we supposed to be confident about Trakt’s future and the developer’s focus on the site when the Product Manager seemingly doesn’t have full passion and focus on the product?

Also (if I may link to a different thread which is about v3) this question that went unanswered.

Free Users Redirect to V3

Can you please explain further how you came to this determination? I think it’s completely reasonable to say a core workflow of Trakt is to look at your history to see when you watched something. In the new version of the website you currently cannot see the time you watched something on a certain date in the history page. You cannot go to a specific date or range. You also do not see the date and time you watched for individual shows and episodes. Due to these limitations the core workflow…

[otakunet21]

i tire of these tear downs

[CajunRob]

@kcador

The good news is that many paywalls have been lowered in Rippple II, so you shouldn’t feel blocked if you don’t have Trakt VIP and shouldn’t feel left out. Most of the core experience is available to everyone.

Wait, what? There’s now payments for Trakt VIP that you are the product manager for and then if I want to use Rippple because that’s more geared towards iOS there’s an additional sum?

I’ve met used car dealers that aren’t as sleazy as this. So what’s the plan? All the items that got removed from Trakt VIP become offered in Rippple?

[otakunet21]

rippple always had a separate subscription even if you had trakt vip. thats not the case anymore, and the app still functions the same from the previous free version of rippple if you’re a free user of trakt. you can’t subscribe to rippple and still be a free user of trakt, but if you are vip at trakt then you get all the extra perks in rippple

[ImpaktNY48]

Prices of Rippple being lowered right as they are an official part of Trakt is concerning. Is VIP revenue making up for the lowered subscription?

[ImpaktNY48]

This isn’t a tear down. It’s my concerns about this announcement.

[otakunet21]

every post kevin has made you’ve dissected. i think you’ve even done that to a couple of mine

[ImpaktNY48]

There’s plenty of posts you and Kevin made I haven’t responded to.

You seem to have a personal issue with me.

[kcador (Kevin)]

I’m going to answer this once more to clarify the facts, then I’ll move on.

You’re mixing interpretations with what was actually said.

Rippple becoming an official Trakt app does not mean it suddenly became my full-time work or that it takes focus away from Trakt. My role and focus at Trakt haven’t changed. To be clear, my focus has never been only on V3/web (or Rippple), but on Trakt as a whole, as I’ve said multiple times.

“Evolving alongside Trakt” does not mean replacing the website or shifting priority away from it. It means aligning an existing app with the platform instead of having it operate independently with a separate direction and business model.

On ownership and decision-making: I don’t “run Trakt”, and I’m not the sole decision-maker. I communicate a lot publicly, yes, but that doesn’t change how the team operates internally. I understand the need to simplify this to a single point of responsibility, but that’s not how the team works.

On the financial side, since you keep asking:
There is no additional Rippple subscription anymore. Rippple II aligns with Trakt VIP. There is no separate revenue stream going to me, and nothing about Trakt VIP changes because of this.

At this point, I’ve answered your questions multiple times. If you choose to reinterpret my answers or counter them with your opinions, I’m going to disengage, as this is becoming repetitive and counter-productive.

If you have new, specific/on-topic questions that haven’t already been addressed, feel free to ask. Otherwise, I’m going to leave it here and focus on moving things forward.

[kcador (Kevin)]

@CajunRob

Wait, what? There’s now payments for Trakt VIP that you are the product manager for and then if I want to use Rippple because that’s more geared towards iOS there’s an additional sum?

No, there’s no additional sum.

@CajunRob

I’ve met used car dealers that aren’t as sleazy as this. So what’s the plan? All the items that got removed from Trakt VIP become offered in Rippple?

No, that’s not what happened or what’s going to happen.

[Steffe73]

What happens with my life time ripple membership, when my trakt VIP subscription expires. I am not going to pay 60usd for limited lists and notes, those unlimited notes and lists where the only reasons for a VIP membership

[ImpaktNY48]

@kcador

“Evolving alongside Trakt” does not mean replacing the website or shifting priority away from it. It means aligning an existing app with the platform instead of having it operate independently with a separate direction and business model.

The why is what’s not being answered here, or at least it’s what I’m not getting. Why shouldn’t a third party app that you work on the side operate independently with a separate direction and business model? Why exactly does the app need to be official and not remain as third party?

What you said doesn’t really mean anything in a practical sense. Any developer can create an app with the goal to align it with Trakt’s priorities as you said. Brass tacks please. What does Rippple becoming an official app actually mean?

[_Floyd]

@Steffe73

What happens with my life time ripple membership, when my trakt VIP subscription expires. I am not going to pay 60usd for limited lists and notes, those unlimited notes and lists where the only reasons for a VIP membership

I have exactly the same question. Although I know the answer. It’s gone.

[Steffe73]

If the answer is gone, Then i want a refund of that lifetime subscription I have paid.

[_Floyd]

I think the app developer did this on purpose and couldn’t care less about you or me. I have a lifetime subscription too, and I didn’t need to buy VIP because the app was more than enough for me.

[kcador (Kevin)]

This question has been coming up a lot lately.

I’ll be honest here: Lifetime Premium in Rippple was never really future-proof. That’s why I removed it around May 2025. Even when I was working on Rippple independently, that model wasn’t sustainable and created confusion, especially with Rippple Premium being mixed up with Trakt/Trakt VIP.

To be clear:

• Rippple I → supports Rippple Premium and Trakt VIP
• Rippple II → supports Trakt VIP only
• Rippple Premium never gave access to Trakt VIP

I understand the frustration with this. You purchased a Lifetime Premium for Rippple I and now I’m saying that that lifetime is being cut short.

The options you currently have:

• Keep using Rippple I with your Premium access (it’s not dead yet)
• Use Rippple II for free, and get VIP at some point if you feel like your app/service usage is worth it
• Jump on the Beta program to test Rippple II and give feedback, it won’t give you all Trakt VIP perks but it will give you additional features to test

Note: if you really want to go the route of asking for a refund: Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple. I honestly don’t know if they will accept the refund request given the context (timeline, alternatives,…) but if you want to try, this is the way.