#34 – State of Hardcover

Summary

In this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss the upcoming State of the Hardcover survey and how to prioritize new features based on user feedback. They review the results of previous surveys and identify the most important features requested by users, such as improved book discovery, stats and graphs about reading history, a mobile app, and book discussions. They also discuss the challenges of framing questions to gather meaningful feedback and the importance of understanding user preferences. Additionally, they consider the inclusion of features like more metadata about books, a text-based discussion forum, and a customizable dashboard. The conversation discusses the design of a dashboard for Hardcover and potential features to include. It explores the idea of a dashboard as a jumping off point to other parts of the platform and the option to set it as the homepage. The conversation also highlights the importance of building features that users want, such as discussions and a reading log. The hosts express excitement about putting out a survey to gather feedback and determine the next steps for development.

Takeaways

User feedback is crucial for prioritizing new features and improving the user experience.
Surveys can help identify the most important features requested by users.
Framing questions effectively is important to gather meaningful feedback.
Understanding user preferences and expectations is key to developing successful features. Consider designing a dashboard as a central hub for users to access different parts of the platform.
Provide options for users to choose their homepage, allowing them to customize their experience.
Focus on building features that users want, such as discussions and a reading log.
Use surveys and feedback to gather data and make informed decisions about future features.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Sundance Movies
08:26 State of the Hardcover Survey
25:34 Unsolved Book-Related Problems
30:01 Connecting with Other Readers
31:41 Ranking Features
41:21 Dashboard and Widgets
46:11 Dashboard Design
47:16 Jumping Off Points
48:21 Choosing Homepage
50:00 Desired Features
52:06 Discussions
54:13 Reading Log
56:28 Survey and Future Features
58:45 Conclusion