Finest-5 Product reads #14
Case study: Signal, APIs, Vanity Metrics and other reads..
Happy Saturday,
We have used scarcity as a concept for a long time and mostly to convert sales. Idea of scarcity is: If we know something is available in limits, we perceive it to be more valuable. A tilted angle to look at scarcity can be FOMO. People do not want to miss out on something important in terms of information and experiences as well. Food for thought is to use the same in your product.
This newsletter is a collection of 5-best reads from 100+ articles I go through weekly. Goal is to help you become better at product with minimal effort. Subscribe, to get the next release in your inbox.
Case Study: Signal
A case study from growth.design is something I regularly look forward to. It’s graphic, it’s simple, and it breaks down the product in a great way. This case study is no different, it will help you understand/revise some behavioral concepts while looking into how signal as a product is. Continue reading..
Key Takeaways:
Personalization is a double-edged sword. Do test your assumptions before changing the experience for worse.
If you want people to act, you need to tell them why. What is their benefit?
Peak-End Rule: People judge an experience largely by how it ends.
Product Managers: Not All Metrics Are Good Metrics
Vanity metrics is a stunning concept. We all know it, but we still rely on them either unintentionally or intentionally. Vanity metrics sometimes help us create amazing numbers and we miss the actual outcome in the hustle. Continue reading..
Key Takeaways:
Leaning on the data available without context can lead to a negative outcome.
More time spent on a page could also be a symptom of a challenging experience.
Vanity metrics look good on paper, but in reality, they don’t paint a picture of success or provide any actionable insights.
A Product Manager’s Guide to APIs
A significant set of users always ask: what in technical do we need to do or how deep. Here is a good example of what you should know and its depth. API’s today run the internet from here to there so many things are possible with the simple concept of APIs. Continue reading..
Key Takeaway:
An Application Programming Interface, or API, is in its simplest sense a technology that connects two systems.
APIs open up a world of opportunities to build a more-integrated product to provide more value for your users
Web hooks trigger the data transfer based on an event, which can be really beneficial to automatically trigger a downstream set of events.
How HubSpot Builds Self-Service Education Tools Customers Love
Onboarding has always been a critical piece of product. But we can extend the same to educate user about the product. It can be during first onboarding or a continued process for users to not get lost at some point and churn. Continue reading..
Key Takeaway:
Self-education tools can dramatically improve the profitability of your company by keeping those support tickets at bay.
The idea is to solve the problem before it even becomes a problem.
The goal is to make software or apps that are super easy for users to learn
The Mindset That Kills Product Thinking
We have aligned product thinking to a lot of things such as understanding users, creating value. However, one thing we know for sure is not to have an output based mindset. The number one mistake people still make is seeing output as the primary function of delivery. Continue reading..
Key Takeaway:
The service provider model separates those responsible for product outcomes from those responsible for product delivery
To make money on a product, we try to minimize output and maximize outcomes
Focusing on product outcomes will shift you to a product mindset
Product of the week: Typeform
Today, I cover a more known product. A product I have been using and in love with for the last 6 months, Typeform. From its UX to its analytics, everything is so simple, it becomes difficult to think about alternatives. Advanced features like inbuilt logics, notifications and integrations are making it one-stop for any form related tasks.