Founders and Customers: Love and Service - What Today's Social Apps Can Learn from Web 2.0

Founders and Customers: Love and Service - What Today's Social Apps Can Learn from Web 2.0

In the world of startups and social apps, the relationship between founders and customers is crucial. When founders genuinely love their customers, it creates a positive impact on the company's growth and success. Customers, in turn, are more likely to remain loyal, try new products and features, and provide valuable feedback. The founders who truly care about their customers know them by name, understand their needs, and are passionate about helping them achieve their long-term goals. These founders speak about their customers as friends rather than mere clients, and their enthusiasm for their customers is evident in their conversations.

On the other hand, founders who lack genuine care for their customers often face challenges and eventually lose hope. The force of will required to overcome the obstacles of building a meaningful company diminishes when there is no love for the customers. Looking down on customers hinders the ability to build a successful company. Love, however, motivates founders to work through challenges and persevere in creating products that address deep customer needs. Passion for building products or scaling businesses alone is not sufficient; it is the love and dedication to serving customers that truly drives success in the long run.

Taking a step back, we can also learn valuable lessons from the social network revolution of Web 2.0, which took place around 15 years ago. During that time, the focus was on building big networks with feeds for discovery, creating a followers/status competition for engagement, and monetizing through ads while supporting various forms of media such as photos, text, and videos. However, the landscape has evolved, and today's social apps need to learn from this revolution to stay relevant and cater to the changing needs of creators and users.

One important lesson is that too many connections can be overwhelming. Maintaining thousands of connections and managing access to content becomes a chore. Small chat groups and algorithm-driven feeds simplify this process by showing users the best content from their network. In the future, we can expect more innovations that address the challenge of maintaining connections in a simpler and more efficient way.

Furthermore, the next generation of social apps will focus on creating real connections with people. Rather than building massive networks, the new wave of social apps will prioritize smaller, more intimate communities or algorithm-driven big networks that foster genuine connections. The goal is to let creators own their audiences and provide them with direct monetization opportunities through subscriptions, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), and other business models. This shift empowers creators and allows them to have more control over their content and audience.

Additionally, the evolution of media formats is a key aspect of the future of social apps. New platforms will emerge that make it easier for people to author 3D content, which can be integrated into games or used for interactive experiences. The rise of NFTs and the growing interest in interactive content and audio also present exciting opportunities for creators and social app developers. These new forms of media may initially seem like toys, but they have the potential to revolutionize the industry and capture a significant market share.

Looking back at the Web 2.0 era, we can also learn from the importance of building critical mass and engagement. Merely building an app is not enough; it is crucial to grow a community of active users to ensure its success. Low engagement leads to more disengagement, so it is better to focus on building a strong community before expanding to adjacent networks. Viral loops, which were effective back then, can still be utilized today to drive user growth and optimize engagement.

The resurgence we are witnessing today in the social app landscape is comparable to the Web 2.0 era, but on a much larger scale thanks to the prevalence of smartphones and powerful computing capabilities in our pockets. The opportunities for creators and social app developers are vast, with new business models, media formats, and technologies emerging. However, it is essential to keep the focus on the relationship between founders and customers, as love and genuine care for customers will always be the driving force behind a successful and thriving company.

In conclusion, here are three actionable pieces of advice for founders and social app developers:

1. Cultivate a genuine love and care for your customers. Understand their needs, know them by name, and be passionate about helping them achieve their goals. This love will motivate you to overcome challenges and create products that truly address their needs.

2. Focus on building real connections with people. Whether through smaller, intimate communities or algorithm-driven big networks, prioritize fostering genuine connections between users. Let creators own their audiences and provide direct monetization opportunities to empower them.

3. Embrace the evolving media formats and technologies. Stay ahead of the curve by exploring new forms of media, such as 3D content, interactive experiences, NFTs, and audio. These emerging formats may initially seem like toys, but they have the potential to shape the future of social apps and capture a significant market share.

By incorporating these principles and staying attuned to the lessons from Web 2.0, founders and social app developers can navigate the ever-changing landscape, build successful companies, and create meaningful experiences for their customers.