The Future of Search: Building a Growth Model and Ladder of Engagement

The Future of Search: Building a Growth Model and Ladder of Engagement

In today's digital age, where information is abundant and attention spans are limited, the future of search lies in boutique search engines that prioritize organizing trustworthy information. It's no longer enough to simply organize the world's information; we need to focus on curating and presenting the best options to users with limited time and attention.

While Google has been the dominant player in search for over a decade, the websites that appear at the top of search results are not necessarily the highest-quality ones. Instead, they are often the ones that have put the most effort into search engine optimization (SEO). This poses a challenge for users who are looking for the best content, products, or experiences.

The key to building a successful growth model and ladder of engagement for a product lies in understanding its core purpose. What problem do users have that your product addresses? Once you have a hypothesis for the what, who, how, and frequency of your product, you can begin building your funnel.

Breaking down your product into specific skills or tasks that users need to understand is crucial in the adoption phase. Focus on the first few steps to get people going and gradually introduce more advanced features as they become more comfortable. This approach helps users progress through the ladder of engagement and ensures that they get the most out of your product.

In the context of search engines, the opportunity lies in building boutique search engines that index, curate, and organize things in new ways. Rather than attacking Google head-on with a one-size-fits-all approach, these boutique search engines offer personalized and curated experiences. They feel less like the Yellow Pages and more like texting a friend for a recommendation.

Curation is a key aspect of boutique search engines. As the amount of curated content grows, so does the need for search. Similarly, as search expands, the need for curation becomes evident. The line between curator, compiler, and cataloguer is thin, and there is a natural limit to the amount of data that can be effectively curated over time.

One challenge in building boutique search engines is the cold start problem. With today's subscription models, customers have no real incentive to help the platform grow. However, nascent token-based business models show promise in overcoming this challenge. By giving ownership to stakeholders and allowing subscribers to benefit from future upside, startups can incentivize users to contribute to the growth of the platform.