April 2015 Summaries

A feature may be considered "terminal" if a significant percentage of customers who can use it do not frequently utilize it, and its removal would not significantly impact revenue. The process of sunsetting a feature involves confirming the condition is terminal, stopping new sign-ups from accessing the feature, dividing users into two camps (real users and dabblers), and announcing the end-of-life to remaining users with a clear explanation and suggestions for alternative solutions. By removing unloved features, product managers can create space for fresh ideas, focus on core functionality, and improve overall user experience.

The use of emoji and stickers is on the rise, driven by a need for more expressive and human-like communication in digital interactions. This phenomenon has evolved over thousands of years, with humans using various forms of non-verbal cues such as body language, gestures, and tone of voice to convey emotions and add depth to conversations. The rapid adoption of emoji and stickers is not just limited to younger generations but is also being adopted by businesses and professionals for more efficient communication. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see a convergence of emoji and stickers, with the emergence of new forms of expression such as custom emojis, short video clips, and audio clips. The goal is to make online communication tools more expressive and human-like, allowing us to convey richness and depth in our interactions with others.

When analyzing a company's go-to-market strategy, understanding the jobs that their product is hired for can inform various aspects of the organization. This approach was adopted by Intercom, where the company uncovered the jobs that its product is hired for and applied those learnings to every aspect of its marketing strategy. By focusing on these "jobs," Intercom was able to tailor its content, advertising campaigns, and event strategy to better meet the needs of its target audience. This understanding also helped improve the user experience by explaining the product in a more effective manner throughout the sales funnel, resulting in increased top-of-funnel traffic and continued growth. To gain this understanding, it's essential to actively speak with customers across various stages, study their conversations intensely, and identify patterns that can inform a framework for marketing efforts.