A big myth (that I once fell for) about building social platforms:
“If we make it easier to create content… reduce the barrier to entry, then we will grow huge!”
Eg clubhouse, medium, Twitter etc
“If we make it easier to create content… reduce the barrier to entry, then we will grow huge!”
Eg clubhouse, medium, Twitter etc
It falls into a category that I call:
“You’re not wrong…it just doesn’t matter”
The only barrier that matters is the barrier of CONSUMPTION. Not creation.
“You’re not wrong…it just doesn’t matter”
The only barrier that matters is the barrier of CONSUMPTION. Not creation.
Look at movies. They require professionally trained actors, and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars to produce.
High barrier to create, low barrier to consume. It works.
Next, look at any social content networks:
High barrier to create, low barrier to consume. It works.
Next, look at any social content networks:
TikTok content is actually very hard to create.
But it’s sooo easy to consume. Bingo. That’ll work
But it’s sooo easy to consume. Bingo. That’ll work
Twitch - live video? talking to chat while playing video games? Performing for 8 hours straight?
Hard as hell. In fact, for 10+ years they had no app or button to start streaming. You had to go download a piece of open source software to stream.
Hard to create? Doesn’t matter
Hard as hell. In fact, for 10+ years they had no app or button to start streaming. You had to go download a piece of open source software to stream.
Hard to create? Doesn’t matter
Podcasts are medium hard to create. To sound good you need to buy a microphone, learn how to edit and upload audio.
But when you’re driving or running errands it’s the easiest content to consume. So it works
But when you’re driving or running errands it’s the easiest content to consume. So it works
Anytime a startup comes out to make podcast creation easier (Eg anchor) it fails, because that’s not the important part
Reminder :
Many founders and PMs fall into the trap thinking that you need to make creation easier
Waste of time. Invest all that energy and time into making consumption easier or more juicy.
Improve consumption, you grow
Improve creation, you don’t
Many founders and PMs fall into the trap thinking that you need to make creation easier
Waste of time. Invest all that energy and time into making consumption easier or more juicy.
Improve consumption, you grow
Improve creation, you don’t
Not to be that guy again, but this is the problem for clubhouse. Creating audio content got easier, but consuming got harder
- live not on demand
- join late, miss parts of convo
- can’t skip or speed up
Etc
It’s amazing for making friends. Bad for entertainment
- live not on demand
- join late, miss parts of convo
- can’t skip or speed up
Etc
It’s amazing for making friends. Bad for entertainment
The only time to work on content creation tools/improvements is :
A) when you’re a big company and every small % improvement pays back
B) if you’re a startup, use the content creation tool to create a new format (Eg 7 sec video loops, or stories)
A) when you’re a big company and every small % improvement pays back
B) if you’re a startup, use the content creation tool to create a new format (Eg 7 sec video loops, or stories)
Social is a nightclub.
Content consumers are the women. Optimize for them
Creators are thirsty dudes. Willing to wait in line, bribe the bouncer, and buy bottle service just to reach the women inside.
Don’t make things easier for the dudes. Make it more welcoming for women
Content consumers are the women. Optimize for them
Creators are thirsty dudes. Willing to wait in line, bribe the bouncer, and buy bottle service just to reach the women inside.
Don’t make things easier for the dudes. Make it more welcoming for women
I guess I coulda just tweeted that last one and got the whole point across
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