A THREAD on interesting ideas on startups, building products, hiring, distributed work and career advice shared by Jeff Morris Jr. (@jmj):
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Startup idea: a place to discover the best high school & college developers.
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Startup idea: a place to discover the best high school & college developers.
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One easy hiring hack is to research who signed up for your beta.
You probably have future employees on that list.
One easy hiring hack is to research who signed up for your beta.
You probably have future employees on that list.
3/
WFH during a global pandemic is not the same as WFH under normal circumstances.
Many people will associate this crazy moment as being what “WFH feels like” but I promise that’s not the case.
WFH during a global pandemic is not the same as WFH under normal circumstances.
Many people will associate this crazy moment as being what “WFH feels like” but I promise that’s not the case.
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I like the idea of every app having a "simple mode" and an "advanced mode":
"Simple" is the single most important use case that everyone actually cares about with a streamlined experience.
"Advanced" is everything else that PMs and Designers create.
I like the idea of every app having a "simple mode" and an "advanced mode":
"Simple" is the single most important use case that everyone actually cares about with a streamlined experience.
"Advanced" is everything else that PMs and Designers create.
5/
At Tinder in 2015, we were a huge brand that had never sent a marketing push notification.
In my 2nd week, my team sent a push notification to 30M+ users to announce a feature. We had our highest traffic day ever.
At Tinder in 2015, we were a huge brand that had never sent a marketing push notification.
In my 2nd week, my team sent a push notification to 30M+ users to announce a feature. We had our highest traffic day ever.
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Unexpected things Instagram disrupted: * Paparazzi careers * DSLR cameras * Lemonade stands (i.e. how kidfluencers earn money) * Tourism (and “overtourism” to popular locations) * Restaurant menus (food re-designed to be photographed)
Blockbuster products change everything.
Unexpected things Instagram disrupted: * Paparazzi careers * DSLR cameras * Lemonade stands (i.e. how kidfluencers earn money) * Tourism (and “overtourism” to popular locations) * Restaurant menus (food re-designed to be photographed)
Blockbuster products change everything.
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Translation Guide for "x for y" ideas:
Superhuman: luxury software
Figma: creative cloud'ish
Notion: minimalism
Lambda: incentives
Webflow: no code
Robinhood: free
Tinder: swipe
Peloton: fancy hardware + subscriptions
Flexport: logistics + TAM
Translation Guide for "x for y" ideas:
Superhuman: luxury software
Figma: creative cloud'ish
Notion: minimalism
Lambda: incentives
Webflow: no code
Robinhood: free
Tinder: swipe
Peloton: fancy hardware + subscriptions
Flexport: logistics + TAM
8/
My favorite framework for new business ideas: "Find a market that thrives on its lack of transparency and make it transparent."
My favorite entrepreneurs all have their own frameworks to develop new ideas. When you adopt a framework, the creative process becomes much easier.
My favorite framework for new business ideas: "Find a market that thrives on its lack of transparency and make it transparent."
My favorite entrepreneurs all have their own frameworks to develop new ideas. When you adopt a framework, the creative process becomes much easier.
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The most important career advice I have is to be patient. Be patient as you search for your next role. Would you be happy spending 4+ years solving this problem? Be patient as you search for your next company idea. Would you be happy grinding this out for 10 years?
Patience.
The most important career advice I have is to be patient. Be patient as you search for your next role. Would you be happy spending 4+ years solving this problem? Be patient as you search for your next company idea. Would you be happy grinding this out for 10 years?
Patience.
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The best product people I know are truth seekers.
They overcome their own ego, politics within their organization, and personal biases — and they build what customers actually want.
Truth is the hardest thing to achieve when building products.
Seek truth.
The best product people I know are truth seekers.
They overcome their own ego, politics within their organization, and personal biases — and they build what customers actually want.
Truth is the hardest thing to achieve when building products.
Seek truth.
11/
“The best product teams crave truth and do math.”
Truth + math is an amazing combination when building products.
“The best product teams crave truth and do math.”
Truth + math is an amazing combination when building products.
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Product is:
1. Coming up with 100 ideas & realizing that 99 are terrible, but 1 is promising enough to pursue.
2. Going down rabbit holes for a living & never getting bored.
3. Finding out that "someone already tried that" & convincing yourself that you can do better.
Product is:
1. Coming up with 100 ideas & realizing that 99 are terrible, but 1 is promising enough to pursue.
2. Going down rabbit holes for a living & never getting bored.
3. Finding out that "someone already tried that" & convincing yourself that you can do better.
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Building products isn’t easy:
1. The expectation to continuously develop new ideas is a real thing.
2. This is especially difficult after building successful products, as the pressure to repeat success becomes more intense.
3. Stay confident that next idea will come soon.
Building products isn’t easy:
1. The expectation to continuously develop new ideas is a real thing.
2. This is especially difficult after building successful products, as the pressure to repeat success becomes more intense.
3. Stay confident that next idea will come soon.
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Many of the best product people I know are historians of our industry.
They can tell you about features built by companies big & small many years ago. Their intuition is guided by years of studying failure & success.
The sooner you become a historian, the better you’ll be.
Many of the best product people I know are historians of our industry.
They can tell you about features built by companies big & small many years ago. Their intuition is guided by years of studying failure & success.
The sooner you become a historian, the better you’ll be.
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The best PM's I know understand value:
1. They quantify market potential for ideas (# of customers with a problem).
2. They understand time value of engineers & designers.
3. They master financial models & deeply understand inputs that drive value creation.
The best PM's I know understand value:
1. They quantify market potential for ideas (# of customers with a problem).
2. They understand time value of engineers & designers.
3. They master financial models & deeply understand inputs that drive value creation.
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The hardest part about product has nothing to do with designing UX/UI or motivating engineers, which can be learned through hard work.
The hardest part is having a unique point of view about the world & being able to articulate those ideas to customers in a simple way.
The hardest part about product has nothing to do with designing UX/UI or motivating engineers, which can be learned through hard work.
The hardest part is having a unique point of view about the world & being able to articulate those ideas to customers in a simple way.
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I've often seen "hiring paralysis" when hiring PM's.
Example: "We want a PM with a Data Science background who has experience solving [x] problem."
Try to be more flexible when hiring PM's. If you find incredibly smart people, they will usually figure it out.
I've often seen "hiring paralysis" when hiring PM's.
Example: "We want a PM with a Data Science background who has experience solving [x] problem."
Try to be more flexible when hiring PM's. If you find incredibly smart people, they will usually figure it out.
18/
In sports, many great athletes spend their careers on the wrong team & their talents go to waste.
I’ve seen the same thing happen to my most talented friends in tech. They pick the wrong teams & their skills are never seen by the world.
You have to pick the right team.
In sports, many great athletes spend their careers on the wrong team & their talents go to waste.
I’ve seen the same thing happen to my most talented friends in tech. They pick the wrong teams & their skills are never seen by the world.
You have to pick the right team.
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The best consumer product people I know often come from random walks of life.
They are not CS grads from top universities. They didn’t start their careers as Google PM’s.
They have unique backgrounds (education, career path) that make them view the world differently.
The best consumer product people I know often come from random walks of life.
They are not CS grads from top universities. They didn’t start their careers as Google PM’s.
They have unique backgrounds (education, career path) that make them view the world differently.
20/
The most powerful sign of product market fit:
A product that makes money while you sleep. You don’t need sales people or partnerships to sell products that reach this elusive point. True product market fit makes money while you sleep.
The most powerful sign of product market fit:
A product that makes money while you sleep. You don’t need sales people or partnerships to sell products that reach this elusive point. True product market fit makes money while you sleep.
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In 2007, VCs said green tech would be bigger than the Internet. They invested billions in renewable energy, biofuels, electric cars. The funds got killed. In 2020, there is renewed VC interest in climate change. The big question: can climate change deliver financial returns?
In 2007, VCs said green tech would be bigger than the Internet. They invested billions in renewable energy, biofuels, electric cars. The funds got killed. In 2020, there is renewed VC interest in climate change. The big question: can climate change deliver financial returns?
22/
The defensibility of audio apps has always been a mystery to me.
Last year, there were over 2000+ meditation apps in the App Store. Only 2 (Headspace and Calm) have brands that are truly recognizable.
The easier the content to produce, the more competitors there will be.
The defensibility of audio apps has always been a mystery to me.
Last year, there were over 2000+ meditation apps in the App Store. Only 2 (Headspace and Calm) have brands that are truly recognizable.
The easier the content to produce, the more competitors there will be.
23/
Beware of product people who use data as a crutch for a lack of taste.
Beware of product people who use taste as a crutch for a lack of data.
Beware of product people who use data as a crutch for a lack of taste.
Beware of product people who use taste as a crutch for a lack of data.
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Incredibly tough to find founders who are strong at both product and distribution.
Left brain: distribution
Right brain: product
Most often, I see great product minds who do not understand distribution.
Incredibly tough to find founders who are strong at both product and distribution.
Left brain: distribution
Right brain: product
Most often, I see great product minds who do not understand distribution.
25/
Moats are becoming harder to find. Look for this:
1. Data
2. Network Effects
3. Lock In (switching costs)
4. Economies of Scale (cost advantages)
5. Deep Tech
6. Intangible Assets
7. Community
8. Brand (very hard to identify)
9. Regulatory
10. Full Stack
Moats are becoming harder to find. Look for this:
1. Data
2. Network Effects
3. Lock In (switching costs)
4. Economies of Scale (cost advantages)
5. Deep Tech
6. Intangible Assets
7. Community
8. Brand (very hard to identify)
9. Regulatory
10. Full Stack
26/
I love distributed work.
But some things might never be solved:
1. Whiteboard sessions. The energy of “being in the room” isn’t the same on Zoom.
2. Emotions in meetings. When everyone’s on mute, moods are hard to track.
3. Serendipity. Conversations that spark magic.
I love distributed work.
But some things might never be solved:
1. Whiteboard sessions. The energy of “being in the room” isn’t the same on Zoom.
2. Emotions in meetings. When everyone’s on mute, moods are hard to track.
3. Serendipity. Conversations that spark magic.
27/
In a distributed future, 'office managers' will be experts in remote work collaboration.
They will help curate tools & processes to build team culture, improve communication & accountability.
Roles will evolve. Office managers will be insanely important.
In a distributed future, 'office managers' will be experts in remote work collaboration.
They will help curate tools & processes to build team culture, improve communication & accountability.
Roles will evolve. Office managers will be insanely important.
28/
Some people like to shop in person & others like to shop from home.
The same is true for work.
Some people like to shop in person & others like to shop from home.
The same is true for work.
29/
When looking for a startup to join, search for companies who are “succeeding despite themselves”:
1. Product funnels aren’t optimized
2. Marketing channels still being tested
3. Operations messy
If customers love the product despite this, they have early PM fit.
When looking for a startup to join, search for companies who are “succeeding despite themselves”:
1. Product funnels aren’t optimized
2. Marketing channels still being tested
3. Operations messy
If customers love the product despite this, they have early PM fit.
30/
Most startup pitches underweight on distribution strategy.
You can build the best product - but if you distribute through same channels as everyone else, you aren’t being creative enough.
Create a distribution strategy that surprises the people you pitch. You’ll stand out.
Most startup pitches underweight on distribution strategy.
You can build the best product - but if you distribute through same channels as everyone else, you aren’t being creative enough.
Create a distribution strategy that surprises the people you pitch. You’ll stand out.
31/
As a startup, knowing when to scale product & org is the most important decision.
When you identify early signs of PMF, your instinct is to scale cause you've worked so damn hard for this moment.
Make sure the PMF is real. Once you scale, it's almost impossible to go back.
As a startup, knowing when to scale product & org is the most important decision.
When you identify early signs of PMF, your instinct is to scale cause you've worked so damn hard for this moment.
Make sure the PMF is real. Once you scale, it's almost impossible to go back.
32/
The art of naming companies is not talked about enough. I often see pitches that would feel entirely different if company just picked a better name.
A few words of advice:
1. Simple is always better
2. Create an emotional response
3. Try not to sound like a tech company
The art of naming companies is not talked about enough. I often see pitches that would feel entirely different if company just picked a better name.
A few words of advice:
1. Simple is always better
2. Create an emotional response
3. Try not to sound like a tech company
33/
When an investor asks about your monetization strategy, saying “we aren’t thinking about that right now” is a weak answer. Focusing on growth instead of revenue is an outdated mindset. You are starting a business and asking for money. Explain how you will return that money.
When an investor asks about your monetization strategy, saying “we aren’t thinking about that right now” is a weak answer. Focusing on growth instead of revenue is an outdated mindset. You are starting a business and asking for money. Explain how you will return that money.
34/
Underrated for hiring talented people:
Build a company that sparks “dinner party interest” for employees when they talk about the startup. We all want our friends & family to be interested in what we do. The stronger the dinner table reaction, the easier recruiting will be.
Underrated for hiring talented people:
Build a company that sparks “dinner party interest” for employees when they talk about the startup. We all want our friends & family to be interested in what we do. The stronger the dinner table reaction, the easier recruiting will be.
35/
Advice for product teams working with ML & data science: Start with a project that has *near term* deliverables.
When young PM's first meet with ML/DS teams, they often start with projects that have 6-12 months deliverables.
Like everything else, start with MVP's.
Advice for product teams working with ML & data science: Start with a project that has *near term* deliverables.
When young PM's first meet with ML/DS teams, they often start with projects that have 6-12 months deliverables.
Like everything else, start with MVP's.
36/
Product idea: “Grammerly for product design”
A Figma & Sketch plug-in that uses AI/ML to predict performance & offer suggestions for copy, images, button placement.
We have amazing tools to help writers communicate better.
We should have the same tools for product design.
Product idea: “Grammerly for product design”
A Figma & Sketch plug-in that uses AI/ML to predict performance & offer suggestions for copy, images, button placement.
We have amazing tools to help writers communicate better.
We should have the same tools for product design.
37/
"Dashboard paralysis" happens when you stare at same metrics every single day. You accept these metrics as your reality, stop innovating & become obsessed with optimizing a small set of KPIs.
Your product needs a bigger vision than dashboards. Don't stare at them too long.
"Dashboard paralysis" happens when you stare at same metrics every single day. You accept these metrics as your reality, stop innovating & become obsessed with optimizing a small set of KPIs.
Your product needs a bigger vision than dashboards. Don't stare at them too long.
38/
Company dashboards should feel like video games:
• Goals: employees should feel like they’re chasing goals whenever they open
• Achievements: unlock rewards if team hits specific goals (bonus $, experiences)
• Social: explore data together
Nobody has built this.
Company dashboards should feel like video games:
• Goals: employees should feel like they’re chasing goals whenever they open
• Achievements: unlock rewards if team hits specific goals (bonus $, experiences)
• Social: explore data together
Nobody has built this.
39/
Investors should ask about “experimentation metrics” during diligence but don’t:
1. Velocity: how many experiments do you ship daily/weekly/monthly/yearly?
2. Quality: what % of experiments lead to meaningful insights?
3. Roadmap: what experiments will you run this year?
Investors should ask about “experimentation metrics” during diligence but don’t:
1. Velocity: how many experiments do you ship daily/weekly/monthly/yearly?
2. Quality: what % of experiments lead to meaningful insights?
3. Roadmap: what experiments will you run this year?
40/
In a world of OKRs, there are some product improvements that will never make your list of “things to work on” but you know will make your customers happy.
* Animations in fun moments
* Reducing copy
* Better control over push notifications
Make time for these projects too.
In a world of OKRs, there are some product improvements that will never make your list of “things to work on” but you know will make your customers happy.
* Animations in fun moments
* Reducing copy
* Better control over push notifications
Make time for these projects too.
