Questions

What essential things need to consider while building a great web consumer based product

The mark of a great consumer technology product is measured in whether it has WOM (Word Of Mouth). When you have consistent positive WOM, you know you have a great technology product.

Strong Growth Loop: If you don't have a strong growth loop, it's almost impossible to have a great technology product. The only company in my current memory that is the exception to this is Tinder. They have a really ineffective growth loop and yet because they've done all of the rest of the stuff I outline below, have amazing WOM.

The other key pieces to earning WOM are:
Instantly understandable: Eliminate all complexity such that a 6 year-old could onboard into the product and start using it and get joy from it.

Instantly Valuable: There much be an instant *perception* of value to the product. This doesn't mean that that value is delivered immediately but the user within their first experience must leave wanting whatever the app has promised awaits them.

Low Trust Barrier: This one isn't talked about much and is of critical importance. Because of all the sins of others before you, consumers are less trusting of new sites and apps than ever before. If you require FB or Twitter auth as the only way into your product, you better be darn sure you're requiring no additional permissions than bare minimum and explain exactly why or what you'll do with the graph.

A responsive, customer-driven team driving the product: Finally, the last piece required for a great consumer-focused tech product is for the company to be aligned around pleasing the customer. This means many different things in execution depending on the nature of your product but the core premise is that if you're not completely obsessed with continuing to enhance the pleasure and value the consumer experiences with your product or service, any success earned could quickly disappear.

Happy to talk to you on a call to discuss how these principles best apply to what you're building or considering building.


Answered 10 years ago

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