In this talk, Ardy will discuss the strategy of experiential transformation at KASKUS. With the shift in the user behavior and the new wave of competitions, KASKUS needs to adapt in order to stay relevant and to continuously deliver great experiences for its users. Transformation does not mean simply changing the look and feel of the UI design. It involves multiple explorations and deeper analysis of trends and statistics. Convincing multiple stakeholders with different point of views, addressing the crucial organizational challenges, and aligning monetization efforts are important aspects in defining the strategy for execution of the “experiential transformation”.

1. kaskus.co.id
Experiential
Transformation
Strategy
Ardy Alam
Chief Product Officer
Product Tank Presentation
March 9, 2017

2. Hello

3. About
KASKUS
Founded in 1999
The largest Social Commerce Platform
in Indonesia:
Online (Mobile Native App,
Mobile Site, Desktop)
Offline (Community Events,
Gatherings, CSR)

4. About
KASKUS
Organic growth
Has its own cultures and lingos
Hard-core fans
Unique brand personality

5. Despite being one of the pioneers
in digital startup in Indonesia,
KASKUS NEEDS TO TRANSFORM ITSELF
IN ORDER TO STAY RELEVANT

6. External
Considerations
User background varies
• Older hardcore fans are comfortable ‘the way it is’
• Younger users feels the user experience is no
longer relevant. Expectation on UX is high, wants
the latest and greatest
Technology & security
standards evolve
• Mobile adoption grows significantly
but readiness to adapt was slow
• Variety of devices, OS versions

7. Internal
Considerations
Organizational vision varies
• Rapid growth of team, new perspectives
• Gen X vs Gen Y vs Millenials
Seeking alternative ways to monetize
• Team challenged to grow traffic = grow user base
• Product experience sacrificed for monetization

8. How we addressed
these issues...

9. Key
Strategy
ex·pe·ri·en·tial (ikˌspirēˈen(t)SH(ə)l/)
relating to, derived from, or providing experience
trans·for·ma·tion (tran(t)sfərˈmāSH(ə)n/ )
an act, process, or instance of transforming or being transformed
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

10. Experiential
Transformation
the Product Managers and UI/UX Designers collaborates on the following:
Experience & Explore
(designing, prototyping,
debating)
Share & Reflect
(what happened?)
Analyse
(why did it happen? What can
we modify, improve, change?)
Apply
(what worked? What didn’t?
how can I apply this to
my products/features?)

12. Addressing
The Issues
Internal
Discovery1 Customer
Centricity2 Monetization
Ideas3 Mobile
First4

13. We started with
Internal Discovery
Internal
Discovery1
● Interviews with the Founders and C-levels, key
employees (old timers are influencers) to
understand their point of views and vision.
● ‘Organizational Ethnography’
● Look into historical data
● Hypothesized direction to be further investigated
with users

14. We involved users
along the journey
● Interviews with existing users, potential users, non-
users
● Informal discussions through community gatherings
● Usability testing sessions
Customer
Centricity2

15. Users hated the banner ads.
How might we monetize
without sacrificing the user
experience?
● Leveraging existing user behavior to develop
creative monetization solutions. For example:
-- Content marketing
-- Native advertising – seamless UX
-- Kaskus Plus - premium users
-- Rejuvenate “Sundul, Gan!”
Monetization
Ideas3

16. ● In 2012, 70% KASKUS users accessed from desktop
● In 2017, over 70% KASKUS users access from
mobile site + native app
We need to create consistent
and continuous experience
across platforms
Mobile
First4

17. Start from mobile web,
translate to the other platforms

18. But most
importantly,
all of these will not
be successful
without...

19. Key Ingredients
for Success
Cross functional involvement
Collaboration across teams with PM,UX,
Development, Sales, Marketing, CS, Operations,
Community, Public Relations

21. Key Ingredients
for Success
Phased Approach
Large scope = big chaos. So we took a
phased approach with clear milestones
instead of trying to solve all at once.

22. Discovery
Research
Master
Blueprint
Mobile
Web
Website, iOS,
Android
Agreed vision,
strategy, and
product positioning
Agreed direction on
how the four
products connect to
one another
Agreed features,
structure, and
content direction

23. Key Ingredients
for Success
Building Team confidence:
● Team members present to Management in milestone review
● War room with walls filled with the materials
● Practice sessions the day before
● All key stakeholders (Founder and C Levels) attended
● Everyone takes turn walking through the design in the wall
● Questions and concerns are addressed on the spot
● Signoff to proceed

25. Business
Impact
● Less display banners, more content
marketing
● Standardized ad positions, easier to sell
● Data driven decisions
Overall : increase in revenues

26. Impact on the
Internal Process
● User research embedded in the
development process
● Multiple iterations, prototyping
● Monitor, observe, and analyze user
behavior after going live
○ Google Analytics Premium
○ Forum KSP (“Critics, Suggestions
and Questions”)

27. ONE
LAST
THING...

28. Lessons
Learnt
1. In order to stay relevant,
the product needs to evolve
and adjust its experience,
but without losing its soul.
2. Transformation does not
simply means changing the
UI
3. Spirit of collaboration,
including the BOD and
management
4. Trust but verify
5. Continuous improvements
everyday: monitor, observe,
adjust as needed

29. Thank You
Ardy Alam
Chief Product Officer, KASKUS
ardy.alam@kaskusnetworks.com
KASKUS ID: aa986