#16 – Social Proof

Adam and Ste catch up on life changes and the new changes coming down the line on Hardcover.

Summary

In this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss various topics including Ste’s new fatherhood experience, hiking, book clubs, the recent events on Reddit, the rise and fall of social networks, Apple’s new VR device, and updates on Hardcover and new features. The conversation covers topics such as addressing review manipulation, certified reviews and book club questions, the feed algorithm and priority, next steps for Hardcover, hot weather and climate, parenting and family life, open sourcing and community contributions, prioritizing discussions, authors, and badges, the value of discussions and matching scores, the importance of the feed algorithm, and the future of Hardcover and social networks. The conversation covers various aspects of incentivizing the use of Hardcover and implementing badges. It also discusses badge levels and progression, cleaning up the tax system, and excitement for future features.

Takeaways

Fatherhood brings joy and new experiences.
Hiking and book clubs are great ways to make friends.
Community backlash can have a significant impact on platforms.
The rise and fall of social networks is a common pattern.
Apple’s new VR device has the potential to revolutionize interaction and productivity.
Hardcover is undergoing updates and new features to enhance user experience. Addressing review manipulation is crucial to maintain the integrity of the platform.
Certified reviews and book club questions can enhance the quality and depth of discussions.
The feed algorithm should prioritize content from engaged users and relevant discussions.
Open sourcing the front end can encourage contributions from the community and improve the product.
Badges can gamify the reading experience and incentivize user engagement.
Discussions and findability are key to creating a unique and valuable social network for book lovers.
Author support and engagement can attract a wider audience and enhance the platform’s value.
The matching score and personalized feed can improve the user experience and filter out irrelevant content.
Hardcover has the potential to become a viable alternative to existing book communities.
Weather and climate can impact daily life and productivity.
Family life and outdoor activities are important for personal well-being.
Open source and community contributions can enhance the development and growth of the platform.
Product choices and focus are critical for the success of a social network.
The value of discussions lies in their structure, discoverability, and relevance to users.
Badges can serve as a visual representation of achievements and interests.
The feed algorithm should prioritize content based on user preferences and engagement.
The future of Hardcover lies in creating a unique and engaging social network for book lovers. Incentivize the use of Hardcover by implementing badges and showcasing them on user profiles.
Display earned badges and dim down potential badges to provide users with a sense of progression and goals.
Create badge levels and define the criteria for earning each level to add excitement and motivation for users.
Consider cleaning up the tax system and choosing which tax to show to improve user experience.
Ensure good starting points for implementing the discussed features and continue building upon them.
Generate excitement for future features to keep users engaged and looking forward to updates.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and New Fatherhood
03:05 Hiking and Making Friends
07:10 Book Clubs and Community
11:59 Reddit and Community Backlash
17:20 The Rise and Fall of Social Networks
23:02 Apple’s New VR Device
25:54 Excitement for VR and Potential Use Cases
37:45 Updates on Hardcover and New Features
47:58 Addressing Review Manipulation
52:13 Certified Reviews and Book Club Questions
55:36 Feed Algorithm and Priority
59:39 Next Steps for Hardcover
01:00:57 Conclusion and Next Meeting
23:57:43 Hot Weather and Climate
09:23 Open Sourcing and Community Contributions
19:05 Prioritizing Discussions, Authors, and Badges
23:01 Product Choices and Focus
32:28 Importance of Discussions and Findability
45:00 The Role of Badges and Author Support
51:22 The Value of Discussions and Matching Scores
59:39 The Importance of the Feed Algorithm
01:00:57 The Future of Hardcover and Social Networks
23:57:43 Weather and Climate
09:23 Open Source and Community Contributions
19:05 Prioritizing Features for Hardcover
23:01 Product Choices and Focus
32:28 The Importance of Discussions and Findability
45:00 The Role of Badges and Author Support
51:22 The Value of Discussions and Matching Scores
59:39 The Importance of the Feed Algorithm
01:00:57 The Future of Hardcover and Social Networks
55:56 Showing Earned and Potential Badges
56:21 Badge Levels and Progression
57:23 Cleaning up the Tax System
57:55 Good Starting Points for Implementation
58:11 Excitement for Future Features
58:35 Wrap-up and Farewell