The Power of Lists: From Bookshops to Music Streaming Platforms to E-commerce

The Power of Lists: From Bookshops to Music Streaming Platforms to E-commerce

In the age of digitalization, where information is abundant and easily accessible, lists have become a powerful tool for discovery and recommendation. Benedict Evans famously said, "Lists are the new search," highlighting the shift from traditional search engines to curated lists created by humans. This shift can be seen in various industries, from bookshops to music streaming platforms to e-commerce giants like Amazon.

Amazon, despite its dominance in the e-commerce market, has a relative weakness in curation, discovery, and recommendation. Data suggests that its recommendation platform contributes only a quarter of its book sales. This weakness may be a significant factor in why Amazon, after 25 years of relentless execution, has only captured 25% of the print books market in the UK and USA. A good bookshop, on the other hand, is primarily a discovery platform, where the emphasis is on the curated tables rather than the shelves. The tables act as lists, showcasing selected books that catch the attention of customers.

However, using lists instead of searchable databases presents challenges when it comes to scaling. Yahoo's hierarchical directory, a list of lists, grew to 3.2 million entries before collapsing under its own weight. It became too vast to browse effectively, and search became the only viable option. Google, with its superior search capabilities, outperformed Yahoo in this regard. This collapse under its own weight can also be seen in note-taking apps, where a large number of notes become unmanageable without a robust search function.

The key lies in finding the right balance between curation and search. As the saying goes, "All curation grows until it requires search, and all search grows until it requires curation." Flipboard, a content aggregation platform, understood this concept and created a manually curated directory of sites to follow. It was a list of lists that didn't aim to encompass everything but provided a manageable and curated selection of content.

The music streaming industry also recognizes the limitations of search engines when it comes to music recommendations. Apple Music and Spotify both acknowledge that a library of 30 million tracks and a search engine alone do not provide a satisfactory user experience. They incorporate curated playlists, which act as lists, into their recommendation algorithms. Apple Music takes a hybrid approach, utilizing automation to match manually curated playlists with algorithmically-determined user preferences. This combination of human curation and machine automation provides users with personalized recommendations.

In the world of e-commerce, the approach to lists differs. Amazon's "everything store" philosophy involves showcasing every SKU available, catering to customers who know exactly what they want. This strategy works well for certain categories but raises the question: what if you want a list that isn't on the list of lists? This is where the need for external search engines like Google arises, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on curated lists.

Design sprints, a methodology commonly used in product development, also emphasize the importance of lists. A design sprint involves a team going through a structured process to solve a problem and create a prototype. The process includes understanding the problem, ideating solutions, making decisions, prototyping, and testing with real users. Lists play a crucial role in organizing ideas, sketching out solutions, and making informed decisions during the sprint.

In conclusion, lists have become a powerful tool for discovery, recommendation, and problem-solving in various industries. The combination of human curation and search algorithms provides users with personalized experiences and efficient information retrieval. However, finding the right balance between curation and search is crucial for scalability and user satisfaction. Here are three actionable pieces of advice to consider:

1. Embrace the power of curated lists: Whether you're a bookshop, music streaming platform, or e-commerce store, investing in curated lists can enhance the discovery and recommendation experience for your users.

2. Find the right balance between curation and search: As your content or product catalog grows, ensure that you have robust search capabilities to handle the increasing volume, while also curating lists to guide users towards relevant options.

3. Incorporate user feedback and testing: Just as design sprints emphasize the importance of testing prototypes with real users, regularly seek feedback from your target audience to refine and improve your curated lists and search algorithms.

By leveraging the power of lists and continuously refining the balance between curation and search, businesses can create compelling discovery platforms, enhance user experiences, and drive growth in the digital era.