Twitter vs. X: Product Lessons For Startup Founders | The Breakdown
Nov 21, 2024
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The discussion dives into how Twitter's transformation to X focuses on product design lessons for founders. They explore shifting dynamics in social media, highlighting the rise of sensationalism and the importance of curating quality content, especially during breaking news. The hosts also analyze recent changes to verification systems, including the monetization of the blue tick, and the confusion it causes. Insights on essential product leadership emphasize purposeful hiring and a balanced approach to user metrics.
The shift from a curated feed to an algorithm-driven model on X illustrates the dangers of prioritizing engagement over meaningful user experiences.
A strong, coherent product vision is crucial for guiding technology development, ensuring user satisfaction and sustainable growth amid evolving metrics.
Deep dives
The Shift in Content Engagement
The changes in engagement strategies on social media platforms are highlighted, particularly focusing on Twitter's evolution under new ownership. Users have noticed a significant shift from a more curated, chronological feed to an algorithm-driven model similar to TikTok, resulting in less meaningful content. For instance, individuals now report increased exposure to sensationalist videos, such as fights or accidents, which provide immediate dopamine hits but lack substantive value. This contrast raises important questions about what constitutes genuine user engagement versus mere passive consumption of content.
Evaluating User Value and Engagement Metrics
Determining whether users derive actual value from products involves scrutinizing engagement metrics beyond mere usage time. Traditional measures such as dwell time can be misleading, as they might indicate engagement while masking user dissatisfaction with the content. Users may find themselves consuming content that they do not appreciate, ultimately leading to disengagement in the long run. This suggests that product designers should focus on creating meaningful experiences rather than solely optimizing for engagement numbers, which can lead to a decline in overall service quality.
The Role of Product Vision and Direction
The importance of a clear product vision is emphasized as a critical factor for guiding development decisions in technology companies. Founder-led companies often benefit from strong moral authority that can shape product direction distinctively, as seen in the historical context of companies like Apple under Steve Jobs. When product leaders fail to articulate a coherent vision or allow metrics to override user experience, it can lead to disjointed strategies that ultimately harm user satisfaction. Therefore, maintaining a balance between user metrics and a clear, user-centered vision is essential for sustainable product growth and innovation.
Since Twitter rebranded to X, the platform has added new features and implemented a few major updates to both its UX and algo.
So what can founders interested in product design learn from all this?
In the first episode of our new series, The Breakdown, YC’s Tom Blomfield (co-founder of Monzo) and David Lieb (creator of Google Photos) take a closer look at X to find what lessons there are for founders building consumer products.
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