Picking a winner for the launch giveaway

We’d just wrapped up the launch announcement, and the comments were still trickling in. I had a list of names, all people who’d taken a moment to share a thought or ask a question. It felt important to get this part right.

The list felt like a quiet conversation

I copied each username from the comments, one by one. It wasn't a huge crowd, just a small group who seemed genuinely interested. Watching the engagement unfold without any push felt like the right way to do it.There was no leaderboard, no pressure to comment more. Each entry was just a person who showed up. That simplicity made the whole thing feel more honest, more like a thank you than a transaction.

Letting the wheel decide

I pasted all the names into the wheel tool. The cursor hovered over the spin button for a second. I remember thinking that this was the only fair way—taking my own preference completely out of the equation.The wheel spun with a soft digital whir. It slowed, passed over a few names, and then settled. Seeing that single name highlighted was a relief. It was done, and it felt clean.

After the spin

I sent the winner a direct message right away. Their reply was just a simple, surprised ‘thank you!’ which was perfect. It felt like closing a loop on a good conversation.