What 5 years at Reddit taught us about building for a highly opinionated user base

What 5 years at Reddit taught us about building for a highly opinionated user base

Building a product for a highly opinionated user base can be a challenge. Just as you can't ask parents not to love their kids, you can't ask passionate users not to love your product. Instead of trying to destroy their passion, it's important to fill the Trust Vault and harness their passion productively.

However, not all feedback should be acted upon. Just because someone is loud doesn’t mean you should act on their complaints. It's crucial to identify whom you should pay attention to. Often, the loudest people don't represent your general user base or your ideal customer profile.

One interesting observation is that customers typically won't go out of their way to tell you if a feature is useful or helps them do a task. They treat useful features like table stakes: they expect them, so they don't think those features are worthy of comment. This makes it difficult to determine whether negative feedback represents the attitudes of most users.

When assessing user feedback, there are two key factors to consider. First, determine whether the feedback represents a significant portion (10% or more) of your user base. Second, assess whether the users giving feedback can influence the opinions of other users. By taking these factors into account, you can better understand the impact of user feedback.

One important lesson learned at Reddit is that the public square is not the place to have a nuanced product discussion. Engaging in public back-and-forths doesn't promote clarity or alignment because the incentive in the public subreddit comment thread is to win the conversation. This lack of psychological safety hinders the expression of opinions and ideas.

Moving on to another topic, in the article "Joint Venture: Can $15 Million Turn Rap Genius Into the Internet Talmud?" Marc Andreessen expressed his belief that Rap Genius has the potential to "be knowledge about the knowledge" and to "create the Internet Talmud." This idea of adding another layer to the Internet through annotations is intriguing.

Rap Genius, founded by classmates at Yale, quickly became one of the fastest-growing companies after participating in the Y-Combinator in 2011. With over 10 million unique visitors a month, the site allows users to delve into the meaning behind lyrics and decipher the Internet's endless content. The goal is to create a cultural Wikipedia that explains all kinds of things.

Starting with a niche community, such as rap enthusiasts, can be a great way to build a passionate user base. By focusing on one thing and getting the community engaged, it creates a strong foundation for future growth and expansion into other spaces.

In conclusion, building for a highly opinionated user base requires careful consideration of feedback and engagement strategies. It's important to distinguish between passionate users and the general user base, as well as to create an environment that encourages open expression of ideas. Additionally, starting with a niche community can lay the groundwork for future growth and expansion. Here are three actionable advice:

1. Listen selectively: Pay attention to feedback from users who represent a significant portion of your user base and have the ability to influence others. Don't act on every complaint just because someone is loud.

2. Foster psychological safety: Create an environment where users feel safe expressing their opinions and ideas. This can lead to more productive discussions and valuable insights.

3. Start with a niche: Building a passionate community around a specific topic can provide a strong foundation for future growth. By focusing on one thing and getting the community engaged, you can create a solid user base before expanding into other areas.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively navigate the challenges of building for a highly opinionated user base and create a successful product.