"And You Will Know Us by the Company We Keep — Remains of the Day: 7 Ways to Retain More of Every Book You Read"

"And You Will Know Us by the Company We Keep — Remains of the Day: 7 Ways to Retain More of Every Book You Read"

In the age of social media, the design of apps and platforms plays a crucial role in shaping the user experience. However, when it comes to social media apps, one critical design mistake keeps rearing its head – the problem of graph design. This refers to the challenge of ensuring that users end up with an optimal graph to get the most value out of the product or service. Many social media apps over-attribute people's behavior to their innate nature and under-attribute it to the social context the app places them in.

The social graph, which consists of who users follow and who follows them, is a significant contextual influence in social media. Most Western social apps intertwine the social graph with the content feed. However, what if there was a way to build an interest graph without the need to follow anyone? What if users could skip the step of assembling a social graph and jump directly to the interest graph? And what if this process could be done quickly and cheaply at scale, with the algorithm adjusting to evolving tastes in real-time?

The problem with approximating an interest graph with a social graph is the negative network effects that come into play at scale. For example, on social networks like Twitter, users are rarely interested in everything from a single person they follow. This design flaw affects the relevance and quality of the content users see. Furthermore, having a large number of people from different spheres of life following us can lead to a context collapse.

Graph design problems are particularly dangerous for social companies because they are difficult to reverse. Most social media users do not unfollow people after following them, primarily due to social conformity. These graph design errors become one-way mistakes as users reinforce them. Social apps often undergo phase shifts as the graph scales, and if not addressed, negative network effects creep in, leading users to take breaks from social media for their mental health.

Building a content feed solely based on a person's social graph can lead to skewed demographics. For example, Pinterest skewed heavily towards female users at launch, creating a self-fulfilling stereotype. By conflating the social graph and the interest graph, unnecessary content matching problems arise. It becomes clear that users should follow their own interests rather than relying solely on their social connections.

Western social apps heavily rely on advertising revenue, making feed relevance paramount. Instead of fixing the root problem of graph design, many users choose to churn. The iOS contact book serves as an open-source social graph that new apps can use to jumpstart their own. Instagram, for instance, gained an advantage by initially building its social graph from Twitter.

Suggested follow lists and helping users acquire the right type of followers can significantly shape the social graph of an app. However, graph design errors tend to manifest only after achieving some level of product-market fit, making it difficult to revert without disappointing and alienating users. Thus, many apps choose to patch the problem rather than addressing it at its core.

The shift to algorithmic feeds, rather than chronological ones, is a popular method to improve feed relevance. However, this does not solve the underlying graph design problem. The root problem lies in sourcing stories from the social graph, which can only be partially solved by algorithmic feeds.

One possible solution to the graph design problem is to decouple a user's content feed from their social graph. TikTok, for example, constructs a relevant feed for users without them needing to follow any accounts. It does this by observing user reactions to various content and running videos through a quality filter. The algorithm then decides which videos would interest each user based on their taste profile.

Instagram recently announced that it would start showing users posts from accounts they don't follow, emphasizing the need to move away from the social graph for content curation. Graph design should consider the type of interaction an app aims to build in the long run and explore alternative social architectures that do not require multiple accounts.

While graph design is often discussed defensively, it can also be used offensively to create a unique and valuable graph structure. Connecting with the right people in the right context can be a nifty trick in a world where finding someone online is a commodity. By crafting a graph that encodes valuable intelligence, users can make meaningful connections and expand their knowledge.

Reading books is another way to acquire knowledge and expand one's understanding of the world. However, simply reading more books is not enough – retaining the information and getting the most out of each book is crucial. One way to improve reading comprehension is to immediately apply the ideas from books. Putting concepts into action helps solidify them in the mind.

Taking notes while reading is essential for retaining information. It doesn't have to be a complicated system; the goal is to emphasize important points and passages. Storing notes in a searchable format, such as Evernote, allows for easy retrieval of ideas when needed. Linking branches and integrating current books with existing knowledge helps deepen comprehension and accumulate wisdom.

Summarizing books in a few sentences after finishing them challenges readers to distill the main ideas and consider their application. The Feynman Technique, named after physicist Richard Feynman, involves explaining a book as if to someone who has never heard of it. This exercise reveals gaps in understanding and helps solidify knowledge.

Returning to great books and reading them multiple times can further cement the ideas in the mind. As Karl Popper said, anything worth reading is worth reading again and again. Lifelong learning and committing to the pursuit of knowledge can be transformative.

In conclusion, whether it's designing social graphs or retaining knowledge from books, thoughtful and intentional approaches are key. Graph design errors in social apps can lead to negative network effects and context collapses. By decoupling content feeds from social graphs and focusing on user interests, social companies can improve relevance and user experience. Similarly, retaining information from books requires active engagement, note-taking, and revisiting key ideas. The goal is not just to read more books but to get the most out of each book and accumulate wisdom over time.