Key insights

• Inverting time to value for user experience and insights on successful consumer social apps

  • 🕒 Importance of inverting the time to value for user experience and creating successful consumer social apps

• Rebranding due to human trafficking allegations and app growth challenges

  • ⚔️ Impact of rebranding due to human trafficking allegations and app growth challenges

• Maintaining a positive impact and combating viral misinformation

  • 🛡️ Efforts to maintain a positive impact, combat viral misinformation, and grow the app

• Influence of designers, unintended viral launch, and growth challenges

  • 🎨 Influence of designers in product development

• Challenges faced in large tech companies and the Explo solution

  • 🚀 Challenges in launching new products and responding to market signals

• Viral mechanics and insights into the success of the TBH app

  • 🌟 Creation of TBH app inspired by user behavior on existing platforms

• Insights into building consumer apps and pivoting to mobile

  • 📱 Process for testing apps and pivotal points leading to app success

• Focus on teens due to malleable habits and social interactions

  • 👩‍👧‍👦 Importance of targeting teen audience for building successful consumer products

• Shift from building political impact tools to consumer apps

  • 🔄 Transition from building government contracts to consumer apps

• Challenges of keeping apps online and ensuring growth

  • 📈 Challenges of keeping apps online and ensuring growth

• Identifying latent demand is crucial for app success

  • ⚙️ Importance of identifying latent demand for app success

Q&A

• What insights were shared about creating successful consumer social apps and working with startups?

  The speaker emphasizes the importance of inverting the time to value for user experience, shares insights on creating successful consumer social apps, and discusses their work with various companies, helping startups, and the type of companies they collaborate with.

• What challenges were faced in rebranding an app and the impact of iOS 18 contact permissions?

  The app faced challenges of rebranding multiple times, insights on app naming and gender targeting, the difficulty of building a durable consumer app, and the impact of iOS 18 contact permissions on app growth.

• What were the key takeaways from the discussion about maintaining a positive impact and combating viral misinformation?

  The key takeaways include the importance of maintaining a positive impact, addressing viral misinformation, a tactical approach to app growth, monetization strategy, and insights on product development and the app's success in combatting a human trafficking hoax.

• What influence do designers have on product development?

  Designers have a significant influence on product development, and the speaker shares a story about the placement of their team at Facebook, the unintended viral launch of a new app, and the ensuing challenges faced in growing and reinventing the app.

• What challenges were faced while working at Facebook as a Founder and a product manager?

  Working at Facebook as a Founder was challenging due to the draining process of selling the company and the less expected role as a product manager with limited involvement in product design.

• What led to the creation and success of the TBH app?

  The creation of the TBH app was inspired by observing user behavior on Snapchat and an existing app called Saraha. Leveraging viral mechanics, live chat customer support, and high adoption intensity testing contributed to the explosive growth of the app.

• What are the challenges of user acquisition for seed stage startups?

  Seed stage startups face challenges in user acquisition, such as the need for venture capital for targeting older cohorts, transitioning business focus, recalibrating approaches, and executing effective growth strategies.

• What are the key insights shared about building viral consumer apps and pivoting to mobile?

  The speaker shares insights on the process for testing apps, a pivotal point leading to the success of an app, and real-life experiences shaping their perspective on building consumer apps and shifting focus to the mobile platform.

• Why is there a focus on building apps for teens?

  Targeting teens is important due to their malleable habits and social interactions, which can lead to network effects, making it easier to achieve virality and sustainable growth for consumer apps.

• What are the challenges of keeping apps online and ensuring growth?

  The challenges of keeping apps online and ensuring growth include technical complexities, scalability issues, and the need for continuous user engagement to drive sustainable growth.

• What is the importance of identifying latent demand for app success?

  Identifying latent demand is crucial for app success as it allows app developers to create products that fulfill unmet needs, enabling them to attract a dedicated user base and achieve viral growth.

• 00:00 Nikita Beere, a successful app developer, shares insights on building viral consumer apps, including the importance of identifying latent demand, the chaotic process of keeping apps online, and the focus on building apps for teens. He presents a shift from building a political impact tool to consumer apps, emphasizing the role of targeting teens due to their malleable habits and social interactions.
• 12:19 The speaker shares insights on building consumer apps, targeting teen audience, and the challenges of pivoting to mobile. Process for testing apps and a pivotal point leading to the success of an app. Real-life experiences shaping the speaker's perspective.
• 24:46 The insight that led to the creation of the TBH app was inspired by observing user behavior on Snapchat and an existing app called saraha. Leveraging viral mechanics, such as positive anonymous polls and targeted marketing, contributed to the explosive growth of the app. Lessons learned include the importance of testing with high adoption intensity, providing live chat customer support for user feedback, and prioritizing ruthlessly as an app scales up.
• 37:15 Working at Facebook as a Founder was challenging due to the draining process of selling the company. As a product manager, the role was different than expected, with little involvement in product design. Large tech companies face challenges in launching new products and responding to market signals. Explo is a solution for embedded analytics and data reporting.
• 49:44 A discussion about the influence of designers in product development, a story about the placement of the speaker's team at Facebook, the unintended viral launch of a new app, and the challenges faced in growing and reinventing the app.
• 01:02:02 The app founder discusses the challenges of maintaining a positive impact, combating a human trafficking hoax, and scaling the app. They also share insights on product development and the app's success. The founder and team put in relentless effort to fight the hoax and grow the app despite challenges. The app was eventually sold to Discord. Key ideas include: maintaining a positive impact, combating a human trafficking hoax, scaling the app, tactical approach to app growth, monetization strategy, product development insights, and addressing viral misinformation.
• 01:13:58 The speaker's app faced allegations of human trafficking leading to its rebranding; insights on app naming and gender targeting; the difficulty of building a durable consumer app; the impact of iOS 18 contact permissions on app growth.
• 01:26:31 The speaker discusses the importance of inverting the time to value for user experience and shares insights on creating successful consumer social apps. They also mention their work with various companies, their approach to helping startups, and the type of companies they work with.