Finest-5 Product reads #6
Your favorite weekly product newsletter bringing the best of the internet
Happy Saturday,
I am elated to see the love you all showed to the last edition of Finest-5. Last week I did an experiment with our newsletter by shifting it to Saturday. Looks like you guys applauded that as the open rate skyrocketed by over 70%. So it seems Saturday is when we will meet!
Bringing the best from the world of products for you is my only goal and now let’s begin this week’s sprint -
How Tinder converts in 15 min
By now, most of us have conversed about Tinder in one way or another. However, the app seems to be slowly losing on user satisfaction. With simplicity at its core, Tinder still mess up important psychological elements such as high commitment and quick upsells. On the net it makes users feel more lost than found. Continue reading..
Highlights:
Keep onboarding simple; break it down if needed
Help users achieve the core functionality with minimal effort
Small Psychological hacks together make a great customer journey
How TikTok Design Hooks You Up
With Tinder leaving some users lost, TikTok utilizes the lost user's idle time and provides a direction. I have seen friends spend hours scrolling on TikTok and just smiling. TikTok's alignment with behavioral hacks such as Hick's law and BJ Fogg model make its users feel at ease. Together with a lot of positive experiences, and a practical recommendation system, the app keeps the user hooked. Continue reading..
Highlights:
BJ Fogg’s model is a practical approach to behavioral design
(Behavior = Motivation * Ability * Trigger)We should exploit every possibility to reduce unnecessary interaction
A good recommendation system does wonders for content industry
Engagement Drives Stickiness Drives Retention Drives Growth
When I was applying for my 1st PM job, I surely had nightmares about so many metrics and how to keep track or improve the product. However, if you think more about providing value to customers, things seem to come together. Making a customer happy keeps them engaged, and if they are engaged, they will return. And once that happens, the product will grow. Continue reading..
Highlights:
Providing value is the core of any product
Not all users are equal and value driven by a product differ
Metric need to be taken case to case, for example, WAU might not be right metric for FB engagement
I'm thinking about software testing wrong
There is some truth in saying software testing is one of the most neglected divisions in any organization, which prides itself on being fast. However, as a PM, you cannot afford to have cracks in your happy case. Hence, a framework needs to be in place to see if the minimum quality criteria is met for your product. Continue reading..
Highlights:
Fixing a production bug after the software release is 2x-3x more work
Organizations need to understand what they reward: speed or quality
Focus on happy case and meet minimum acceptable quality
Elad Gil on getting your metrics straight to succeed in SaaS
Not all metrics are equal and nor shall their usability be constant. We should re-prioritize the focus metrics with the stage of the product and keep track of basic health metrics. Health metrics keep us in check from neglecting one metric for others. Continue reading..
Highlights:
Covid-19 impacted all companies, some in positive, some in negative.
Focus on metric change as stage of product change
You need to find something that customers truly want and need versus something that’s a ‘nice to have’
Product of the week: Otter
Otter is one of the best speech-to-text apps available. I have used the free version of Otter frequently in the past weeks and the simplicity of its usage is something I will highly recommend. Few things I loved the most about the app are single click recording, free plan, real-time transcript, and availability on multiple devices.
PS: This and coming week, I am experimenting with the content format. If you have any recommendations or comments please share.