Kevin Rose provides advice for building 1 to 1 million user products based on his experience with companies like Digg and Revision3. He emphasizes focusing on the user experience by avoiding features that inflate ego over usefulness, keeping products simple, releasing iteratively based on user behavior data, engaging with influencers and communities, leveraging user networks for growth, and analyzing traffic patterns.
4. #1. Ego
• Ask yourself: Does this feature increase the
users self-worth or stoke the ego?
5. #1. Ego
• Ask yourself: Does this feature increase the
users self-worth or stoke the ego?
• If a user is contributing to my system, what
emotional rewards do they walk away with?
What (visible) rewards will they receive?
8. Why do followers work?
• Twitter provides a (largely) one way
communication platform - zero expectations,
approachable for any user
9. Why do followers work?
• Twitter provides a (largely) one way
communication platform - zero expectations,
approachable for any user
• Follower counts take on the form of social
currency - in the users mind the more the
better
10. Why do followers work?
• Twitter provides a (largely) one way
communication platform - zero expectations,
approachable for any user
• Follower counts take on the form of social
currency - in the users mind the more the
better
• Increased follower counts (even by spammers)
gives individuals the false impression of
audience
19. #3. Build & Release
• Stop thinking you understand your users
20. #3. Build & Release
• Stop thinking you understand your users
• Learn from what they’re actually doing on
your site, not what you think they’ll do
21. #3. Build & Release
• Stop thinking you understand your users
• Learn from what they’re actually doing on
your site, not what you think they’ll do
• Decide on what you’re going to build... and
build it (avoid analysis paralysis)
22. #3. Build & Release
• Stop thinking you understand your users
• Learn from what they’re actually doing on
your site, not what you think they’ll do
• Decide on what you’re going to build... and
build it (avoid analysis paralysis)
• Build, release, iterate, and repeat
24. #4. Hack The Press
• Invite only system (Pownce, Digg v3)
25.
26. #4. Hack The Press
• Invite only system (Pownce, Digg v3)
27. #4. Hack The Press
• Invite only system (Pownce, Digg v3)
• Talk to the junior bloggers
28. #4. Hack The Press
• Invite only system (Pownce, Digg v3)
• Talk to the junior bloggers
• Attend parties for events you can’t afford -
network w/influencers, bring a demo
30. #5. Connect w/your
community
• Start a podcast (it’s OK if not everyone
listens)
31. #5. Connect w/your
community
• Start a podcast (it’s OK if not everyone
listens)
• Throw a launch party, then yearly/quarterly
events - invite the press/influencers
personally - don’t tell the bar
32. #5. Connect w/your
community
• Start a podcast (it’s OK if not everyone
listens)
• Throw a launch party, then yearly/quarterly
events - invite the press/influencers
personally - don’t tell the bar
• Engage w/the community, be an active
participant your own ecosystem
35. #6. Advisors
• What technical problems are you going to
have?
• Advisors can be helpful in a whole slew of
areas (marketing/hiring/bizdev)
36. #6. Advisors
• What technical problems are you going to
have?
• Advisors can be helpful in a whole slew of
areas (marketing/hiring/bizdev)
• Stock compensation, typically not a board
seat, solid advisors help during fund raising
When I cover the Ego, it’s important to remember that I don’t believe these principles should dictate which features you’re building, but more as a way to evaluate how a certain feature may subconsciously impact the features usage
When I cover the Ego, it’s important to remember that I don’t believe these principles should dictate which features you’re building, but more as a way to evaluate how a certain feature may subconsciously impact the features usage
why has twitter exploded? it’s a popularity contest. It has turned celebrities into free spokesperson - that’s unheard of - this is millions of dollars of free media exposure. Love it or hate it, this has helped twitter grow
2: this turned celebrities into instant mouthpieces
2: this turned celebrities into instant mouthpieces
2: this turned celebrities into instant mouthpieces
Digg top user list was very important during the early days.