1. Building Great Products
Ben Yoskovitz!
@byosko!
byosko@gmail.com
#ProductHuntTO

2. More wins than losses
1996 1998 2001 2006 2007 2010 2011
1st startup
Big pivot
The “I got too comfy” years
Started blogging
Standout Jobs
Failed
Year One Labs
GoInstant
$0
2012 2014
Salesforce
VarageSale

3. http://leananalyticsbook.com
• San Francisco
• Omaha
• Barcelona
• London
• Amsterdam
• Memphis
• Vancouver
• Las Vegas
• and more...

4. The fun way to buy and sell in a trusted local community
• Fast growing
• 40+ people
• Making a difference
• Hiring actively
http://varagesale.com/work_with_us

5. So let’s talk about Product Hunt…

6. I was an early adopter (#20)
• Get to the point!
• FOMO!
• Ask specific questions
• Network early!
• Appeal to egos!
• Create value for others

7. ✓Found the right early adopters
!
✓Had a clear & narrow value proposition
!
✓Found a real need (solved a real problem)
!
✓Built an MVP — but delivered on the value
promised
What did Product Hunt do well?

8. Product Hunt = SF?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hubertyu/14102205739/

9. How to use Product Hunt
• Product Hunt is not a launch strategy
!
• Don’t spam
!
• Don’t randomly ask people to submit for you
!
• Engage as a founder — get into the comments
!
• There’s a long tail of votes (but don’t know if
it drives value)

10. Dash Hudson Product Hunt Case Study
• ~1,000 visitors on day 1!
!
• ~2% conversion!
!
• “Bit of buzz, mostly inside
the echo chamber”

11. https://www.flickr.com/photos/lisacee/5420415856/
A few thoughts on
building great
products

12. Do things in order
Lean Analytics Stages “Gates” needed to move forward
Empathy
Stickiness
Virality
Revenue
Scale
GrowthRate
You’ve found a real, poorly-met need that a reachable
market faces.
You’ve figured out how to solve the problem in a way
they will adopt, keep using and pay for.
The users and features fuel growth organically and
artificially.
You’ve found a sustainable, scalable business with the
right margins in a healthy ecosystem.

13. Do things in order
Lean Analytics Stages “Gates” needed to move forward
Empathy
Stickiness
Virality
Revenue
Scale
GrowthRate
You’ve found a real, poorly-met need that a reachable
market faces.
You’ve figured out how to solve the problem in a way
they will adopt, keep using and pay for.
The users and features fuel growth organically and
artificially.
You’ve found a sustainable, scalable business with the
right margins in a healthy ecosystem.
Most startups fail
here

14. Do things in order
Lean Analytics Stages “Gates” needed to move forward
Empathy
Stickiness
Virality
Revenue
Scale
GrowthRate
You’ve found a real, poorly-met need that a reachable
market faces.
You’ve figured out how to solve the problem in a way
they will adopt, keep using and pay for.
The users and features fuel growth organically and
artificially.
You’ve found a sustainable, scalable business with the
right margins in a healthy ecosystem.
Most people don’t
really do this

15. https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomastern/14519782386
Small cycles of behaviour
• A—>B—>C
• Reward & Delight users
• Addictive

16. Understand your best users
• Identify your “good” users
• What makes them special?
• Find more “good” users

17. https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiarescott/69821764/in/
Never stop talking to users
• Quantitative Data = What
• Qualitative Data = Why

18. Be deliberate
• The “One feature away” lie
• Iterate and test, but don’t
panic
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pallotron/2206080648/

19. Resources
http://www.instigatorblog.com/tiny-addictive-new-behaviors/2013/07/02/
!
http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Guide-Building-Habit-Forming-Products/dp/
1494277530
!
http://www.instigatorblog.com/tiny-addictive-new-behaviors/2013/07/02/
!
http://www.instigatorblog.com/your-best-users/2014/06/20/
!
https://medium.com/@noah_weiss/50-articles-and-books-that-will-make-you-a-great-
product-manager-aad5babee2f7
!
http://www.defmacro.org/2013/09/26/products.html
!
https://blog.bufferapp.com/people-dont-buy-products-they-buy-better-versions-of-
themselves

20. Thank you!
• Ben Yoskovitz
• @byosko
• byosko@gmail.com
• http://instigatorblog.com
• http://leananalyticsbook.com