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I think the trouble is that it's really hard to start a new social network from scratch, so when Facebook wants to compete in a new segment they just tack on th
by thekyle 6y ago
I think the trouble is that it's really hard to start a new social network from scratch, so when Facebook wants to compete in a new segment they just tack on the feature to one of their existing social products. However, as you pointed out this leads to feature creep and pushes users to simpler platforms.
What I would do to solve this problem if I were at Facebook is to start new features out on an established platform (like they already do) until they reach a critical mass. Then I would completely break the feature out into its own app with separate branding. Hopefully I could get 10-20% of the active users of that feature to move to the new app and then grow it from there.
It's a very delicate process each time you do it but I think in the long run it would diversify Facebook's revenue across many independent brands and solve the feature creep problem.
- k__ 6y ago"they just tack on the feature to one of their existing social products" After the rise of Snapchat Facebook tacked on stories to FB, IG, and WA.
- toper-centage 6y agoMeanwhile snapchat pushed for weird tv shows and sponsored and featured stories, pushing friend stories to the tiny row on top. It's like they do it on purpose to alienate users in exchange for short time increase in "engagement".
- uoaei 6y agoThese sorts of metrics are interesting to investors at a quarterly timescale. Understanding these phenomena is easier when you think of it solely in terms of the bottom line.
- chillacy 6y agoSuch an odd decision... they had an app for private communication (the value prop was "you can be yourself when your parents and boss aren't in the audience") and tacked on the supermarket tabloids and celebrity news.
- dragonwriter 6y ago> the value prop was "you can be yourself when your parents and boss aren't in the audience" If that's the value prop, what were people willing to pay for that value? I think, instead, getting sponsored stories in front of eyeballs is the service being provided to the paying customers.
- chillacy 6y agoI'm glad Snap figured out a way to profitability (and what do I know as an outsider looking in), but they don't have as much good demographic info as say Facebook, so they can't for instance show men's shaving ads to men only, which I recall made their sponsored stories very "most common denominator". I no longer use Snapchat and I used to be a daily user maybe 4 years ago.
- tsycho 6y agoAnd even if they lose some users when they split out the feature to a separate app, they have still slowed down the growth of their competitor. It's an ugly, but effective strategy.
- Swizec 6y ago> Then I would completely break the feature out into its own app with separate branding. Hopefully I could get 10-20% of the active users of that feature to move to the new app and then grow it from there. As we all know this strategy worked great for Foursquare.
- goldforever 6y agoYup, like Messenger.
- underwater 6y agoThis is the strategy Facebook did with Messenger. Absolutely everyone complained when they tried to spin it out.
- conradfr 6y agoIt was annoying but nowadays it helps you never see or use the main Facebook app. So in a way their arrogance may have hurt them in the long run.