January 2016 Summaries

The text discusses how traditional app stores are becoming obsolete due to changes in user behavior and the rise of deep integrations with services people already use. Companies like Uber are rewriting the rules by embedding their services within existing platforms, such as Citymapper, rather than relying on native apps for discovery. This approach is seen as a more effective way to reach users and drive growth, as it eliminates the need for expensive ad campaigns and provides a better user experience. The author argues that focusing on building systems that solve real-world problems, rather than just creating native mobile apps, is key to success in the modern market.

When it comes to product research, companies should prioritize conducting any research over not doing it at all. This is because designing a product without user input can lead to assumptions being made, which may result in an inferior final product. However, time and cost constraints often hinder the ability to conduct extensive research. To overcome this, companies can adopt flexible and creative research methods that balance costs and deadlines. This includes using remote research tools, conducting customer interviews, and making trade-offs in methodology without compromising quality. By following a structured approach, including deciding on what to learn, sanity checking the research approach, speaking with the right users, and being mindful of bias, companies can gather reliable and trustworthy insights that inform their product development decisions. Ultimately, any research is better than none, and making trade-offs can lead to valuable insights that drive product success.

In 2015, Intercom shipped over 100 features and improvements, including a brand new product, Acquire, which extended the company's reach outside of its core product. The platform also gained support for Android, introduced real-time capabilities such as green dots and live typing indicators, and released features like teams, assignment rules, and "or" filtering to improve workflows. Additionally, Intercom revamped its composer feature and introduced delivery windows and message goals to enhance targeting and measurement capabilities. The company also expanded its APIs, integrations, and developer hub to facilitate community building and product development. With a strong focus on growth and innovation, Intercom looks forward to introducing even more features in 2016.

When a business releases its real-time messenger, it aims to create a natural conversation experience for customers similar to friends chatting with each other. However, the lack of a "heartbeat" in messaging led to messages feeling like they were being sent into the ether, with unclear expectations around response times. To address this, read receipts were introduced as a core feature, which provide transparency and signal that a message has been seen. The implementation differs across platforms, but the Intercom approach prioritizes clarity, design for reality, and non-optionality to ensure the value of read receipts is not lost in conversations. By adopting these principles, businesses can encourage quick, short conversational messages and change their mindset about how to talk to customers, ultimately making communications more authentic and transparent.

Providing every customer with an amazing support experience is a significant challenge, especially in the early days of a startup when resources are limited. One prioritization option that can be extremely successful is offering a VIP (Very Important Person) customer support tier for key customers, which can be either a paid service or an internal emphasis on providing extra help to these customers. This approach has been found to significantly reduce customer churn and increase the likelihood of converting free trial users to paying customers. To deliver a true VIP customer service experience, it's essential to define the right VIPs, including high-value self-service customers, big-name signups, and well-funded startups. Then, focus on delivering personalized support through tactics such as a VIP welcome message, concierge onboarding, and lifecycle support, while also considering resources and scaling the approach as needed.