"✨ Wellness Wisdom vol.33: 15 Mindful Product Principles from Allen Zhang, Father of WeChat ". A newsletter for the thoughtful. This newsletter is free because I believe everyone deserves to have access to wellness resources. What I uncovered was not so much a cunning businessman, but a deeply philosophical digital anthropologist and empathetic first-principles thinker. He then returned to Tencent, cleaned up QQ’s email system, and realized in 2010 that the rapid growth of messaging platform Kik presaged the future of communication. Zhang attributes many of his product epiphanies to Sigmund Freud. Specifically that sex is a driving force for human nature. He insists that product managers should be “literary and artistic youth”, not just “logic driven.”

"✨ Wellness Wisdom vol.33: 15 Mindful Product Principles from Allen Zhang, Father of WeChat ". A newsletter for the thoughtful. This newsletter is free because I believe everyone deserves to have access to wellness resources. What I uncovered was not so much a cunning businessman, but a deeply philosophical digital anthropologist and empathetic first-principles thinker. He then returned to Tencent, cleaned up QQ’s email system, and realized in 2010 that the rapid growth of messaging platform Kik presaged the future of communication. Zhang attributes many of his product epiphanies to Sigmund Freud. Specifically that sex is a driving force for human nature. He insists that product managers should be “literary and artistic youth”, not just “logic driven.”

In this article, we will explore 15 mindful product principles from Allen Zhang, the father of WeChat. These principles provide valuable insights into product management and design, highlighting the importance of empathy, authenticity, and user-centricity. By incorporating these principles into our own product development processes, we can create meaningful and impactful experiences for our users.

1. Product Management is art, not commerce 🎨
   Allen Zhang's mission for WeChat was to create an impressive "work of art" rather than a purely commercial product. He believes that product managers must combine intuitive design, human psychology, and technological feasibility to create products that resonate with users. By approaching product management as an art form, we can prioritize user experience and create products that have a lasting impact.

2. WeChat follows the "Grand Design" approach to innovation vs. "Design Thinking" 🌏
   WeChat's product development process integrates both approaches, but leans more heavily on the Grand Design approach. Allen Zhang believes that a good product requires a certain degree of "dictatorship" to maintain a singular and coherent identity. By having all features go through him for approval, WeChat has been able to create a product with a clear and consistent vision.

3. Allen models WeChat's design process after Dieter Rams 👩‍💻
   Allen Zhang believes that principles for tool design are applicable to both hardware and software products. He follows Dieter Rams' principles for innovative, useful, beautiful, and easy-to-use design. By focusing on these principles, WeChat ensures that its products are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and user-friendly.

4. Make the best tool and get users out of the app as fast as possible 🔧
   Allen Zhang believes that technology should primarily help increase efficiency. WeChat encourages users to put down their phones and meet friends in person. By prioritizing real-life interactions, WeChat aims to create a balance between technology and human connection.

5. Products should serve delight and human connection ✨
   WeChat's early feature, Drifting Bottles, enabled users to send voice and text messages to random users, fostering new connections. This feature demonstrates the importance of creating products that facilitate human connection and bring joy to users' lives.

6. The Golden Principle: The User is Your Friend 👯‍♀️
   Allen Zhang emphasizes the importance of treating users with genuine empathy. By prioritizing user needs above all else, WeChat ensures that its products are used for a longer time. This principle is reflected in WeChat's limited advertising in its social feed and its commitment to not interfere with various services provided on the platform.

7. Letting value creators cultivate value 💪
   WeChat empowers creators to make money off authentic and quality content themselves. By enabling tipping directly to creators, WeChat supports the growth and success of content creators on its platform.

8. Quality, not openness, is the greatest good that a platform can deliver 🧠
   WeChat believes that the greatest good a platform can offer is the breadth and diversity of quality content. By providing users with a wide range of high-quality content, WeChat allows individuals to freely choose the content they want to consume.

9. Social products should be authentic and alleviate stress, not engender it 👀
   WeChat understands the core human need for socialization. By providing features like Moments, where users can post photos of their lives, WeChat aims to alleviate stress and foster genuine connections.

10. Products shouldn't rely on "Growth Hacking". If a new product can't grow naturally, don't market it 📈
    Allen Zhang believes that if users aren't willing to naturally adopt a new product, any marketing efforts will be meaningless. Instead of focusing on artificial growth tactics, product managers should prioritize creating products that provide genuine value to users.

11. PMs shouldn't be solely evaluated on monetary KPIs 💰
    At WeChat, every product manager ensures that each feature or service has a meaning or a dream behind it. If a feature is solely made for gaining traffic without providing value to users, it will have problems and won't last.

12. User Research is a requirement for all PMs via the 10/100/1000 Principle 💯
    WeChat emphasizes the importance of user research by requiring product managers to conduct end-user interviews, read user blogs, and collect feedback from user experiences. This principle ensures that product decisions are based on real user insights.

13. Be selective with user research and make decisions from good principles first
    While user research is essential, Allen Zhang advises being selective with the feedback you act on. It's important to make decisions based on good design and usability principles, ensuring that new features align with the existing design and don't increase complexity.

14. Challenges come from users, not competitors 💥
    Allen Zhang sees WeChat itself as the competitor and focuses on keeping up with users whose tastes and needs change every year. By constantly adapting and evolving, WeChat stays relevant and continues to meet the ever-changing demands of its users.

15. The best KPI is hope 🤍
    WeChat believes that if the platform can't give users even a little bit of hope, it can't judge whether its actions are right or wrong. By prioritizing hope and positive experiences, WeChat aims to create a platform that brings joy and optimism to its users.

Incorporating these principles into our own product development processes can help us create products that prioritize user experience, foster human connection, and provide genuine value. To apply these principles, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Prioritize empathy: Put yourself in your users' shoes and prioritize their needs above all else. This will help you create products that resonate with your users on a deeper level.

2. Focus on quality: Instead of chasing rapid growth, focus on creating high-quality products that provide genuine value to your users. Quality will lead to long-term success and user loyalty.

3. Embrace user research: Make user research a regular part of your product development process. Conduct interviews, read user blogs, and collect feedback to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions.

By following these principles and taking action on these advice, we can create products that make a positive impact on users' lives and foster genuine connections. Let's embrace the wisdom of Allen Zhang and strive to create products that are not only technologically advanced but also mindful and empathetic.