tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65545158605340693012024-03-18T02:48:09.411-07:00The Mobile SpoonExploring product leadership, user experience, development, and entrepreneurship.Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-72676442375006460042024-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:002024-02-12T13:25:46.180-08:0010 guides that will help you design better products<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wGecm3yIUilk9rFMRw8DleXulPdGJNY0Mxa-7K75gBfPz6eymjAAJMBbRDm-hcKbWp7WBAhmArvfSFrdWBueHSqok6SnhPt_tzFFA1wW5ZD8dYzaLzPOkQKyMcygnFOf7bNVD7OPfIPHH-QovdR1QeU1hHlEfCT8LPukE4QbKwtEv27tNFUE5BEfspI/s1424/designing%20tables%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to design good tables - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="1424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wGecm3yIUilk9rFMRw8DleXulPdGJNY0Mxa-7K75gBfPz6eymjAAJMBbRDm-hcKbWp7WBAhmArvfSFrdWBueHSqok6SnhPt_tzFFA1wW5ZD8dYzaLzPOkQKyMcygnFOf7bNVD7OPfIPHH-QovdR1QeU1hHlEfCT8LPukE4QbKwtEv27tNFUE5BEfspI/s16000/designing%20tables%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.png" title="how to design good tables - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>They say February is a great month for listing your most popular posts, so here's a list of my most popular UX/UI guides. </p><p>Have fun!</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/11/ux-writing-comprehensive-guide-for.html" target="_blank">The definite guide for writing and designing text in mobile apps</a></h2><p>Text is an integral part of your design. Handle it wrong and your entire design will suffer.</p><p>Luckily for you I've collected 40 rules of thumb to help you overcome this challenge. </p><p>No, don't thank me - read it and share. Be a friend!</p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/11/ux-writing-comprehensive-guide-for.html" target="_blank">40 rules that will help you design your text like a pro</a>. </p><p>Bonus link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/06/more-tips-for-improving-ux-writing-with-examples.html" target="_blank">13 additional tips for improving your UX writing (with examples)</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cr-duPusQnk/X_9uFIEiwDI/AAAAAAAARLA/Q9eZrPwhRhIfnzgGThg6faTufGVwFehxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1288/ux%2Bwriting%2Bpost.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="40 rules for writing and designing text in mobile apps - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1288" height="432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cr-duPusQnk/X_9uFIEiwDI/AAAAAAAARLA/Q9eZrPwhRhIfnzgGThg6faTufGVwFehxgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h432/ux%2Bwriting%2Bpost.png" title="40 rules for writing and designing text in mobile apps - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/11/design-ui-tables-20-rules-guide.html" target="_blank">How to design data tables that don't suck</a></h2><p>Every serious product has at least one big data table, and yet, too many B2B products fail to deliver decent user experience in their tables. </p><p>What's so special about this guide? Nothing. Besides the fact it's the best guide out there. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/11/design-ui-tables-20-rules-guide.html" target="_blank">20 rules guide for creating user-friendly data tables and grids</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCBo9-QERMU/X_9v3sNfOdI/AAAAAAAARLM/6f58bi2nC2EfrnDUaCdmj7K4mrqR_lM6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s638/tables%2Btips.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="20 rules for designing data tables that don't suck - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="638" height="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCBo9-QERMU/X_9v3sNfOdI/AAAAAAAARLM/6f58bi2nC2EfrnDUaCdmj7K4mrqR_lM6ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h296/tables%2Btips.png" title="20 rules for designing data tables that don't suck - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><h2>3. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">The all-in-one guide to high-converting CTA buttons</a></h2><p>This one will help you tweak those buttons of yours until nobody can resist them. </p><p>Be careful, though, your servers might collapse after implementing some of those tips. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">30 tips for designing high-converting call-to-action buttons</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7UueIFGyp0/X_9ygrrAeEI/AAAAAAAARLk/5Bn-m7RQ6R07GMMUXMEXXBVgaGVzqxq0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/CTA-buttons%2Bguide.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The all-in-one guide to high-converting CTA buttons - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="640" height="388" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7UueIFGyp0/X_9ygrrAeEI/AAAAAAAARLk/5Bn-m7RQ6R07GMMUXMEXXBVgaGVzqxq0ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h388/CTA-buttons%2Bguide.png" title="The all-in-one guide to high-converting CTA buttons - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/08/visually-distorted-when-ui-looks-all.html" target="_blank">Visually distorted - how to fix those weird UI hiccups</a></h2><p>This post was never at the top of the page views, but it's my all time favorite, and has tons of value in it (to my totally subjective opinion).</p><p>Plus, it took me forever to create those mockups, so I might as well promote it some more. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/08/visually-distorted-when-ui-looks-all.html" target="_blank">Visually distorted - when symmetrical UI looks all wrong</a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StwuXH969XQ/X_9xp9L9p2I/AAAAAAAARLY/--JhOx3KaHQ4BOY53_5R3tJf2mX8IDwigCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/visually%2Bdistorted%2Btip.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Visually distorted - how to fix those weird UI hiccups - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="640" height="576" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StwuXH969XQ/X_9xp9L9p2I/AAAAAAAARLY/--JhOx3KaHQ4BOY53_5R3tJf2mX8IDwigCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h576/visually%2Bdistorted%2Btip.png" title="Visually distorted - how to fix those weird UI hiccups - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/03/when-friction-in-ux-becomes-good-thing.html" target="_blank">How to leverage friction for the success of your product</a></h2><p>Friction is usually bad for business. Unless... it’s done intentionally...</p><p>This short guide includes <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/03/when-friction-in-ux-becomes-good-thing.html" target="_blank">6 examples of how to use friction for the benefits of your product</a>. It's an unusual guide with some new ideas for dealing with rare product challenges. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKmgY1gRqmo/X_90U-WLYqI/AAAAAAAARLw/xxK5lX7oIzcr_1V3PvaCvslWUU4fM0QpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/friction%2B-%2Bmake%2Buser%2Bthink%2Btwice.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to leverage friction for the success of your product" border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="640" height="406" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKmgY1gRqmo/X_90U-WLYqI/AAAAAAAARLw/xxK5lX7oIzcr_1V3PvaCvslWUU4fM0QpgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h406/friction%2B-%2Bmake%2Buser%2Bthink%2Btwice.png" title="How to leverage friction for the success of your product" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">6. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/06/20-dark-patterns-to-avoid-in-products.html" target="_blank">20 Dark Patterns to avoid when designing products</a></h2><p>The title of this guide says it all: it provides examples of <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/06/20-dark-patterns-to-avoid-in-products.html" target="_blank">20 types of dark patterns</a> that exist out there, but shouldn't be used by legit products. </p><p>Tons of visual examples in this guide and each one comes with a famous villain! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lod6LR_kpT4/X_91u8i0SGI/AAAAAAAARL8/9VJZexu06moYChWJez8izvB-x6lEdXBEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1940/darkpatterns2%2Bguide.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="20 Dark Patterns to avoid when designing products - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1940" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lod6LR_kpT4/X_91u8i0SGI/AAAAAAAARL8/9VJZexu06moYChWJez8izvB-x6lEdXBEACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h382/darkpatterns2%2Bguide.jpeg" title="20 Dark Patterns to avoid when designing products - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nq8qd3NjJ_0/X_91vwGOIVI/AAAAAAAARMA/E_znsxAj16kusyVqjbN1EhWfJf8MDxhYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1940/darkpatters1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="20 Dark Patterns to avoid when designing products - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1940" height="382" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nq8qd3NjJ_0/X_91vwGOIVI/AAAAAAAARMA/E_znsxAj16kusyVqjbN1EhWfJf8MDxhYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h382/darkpatters1.jpeg" title="20 Dark Patterns to avoid when designing products - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">7. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/12/10-usability-rules-keyboard-mobile-app.html" target="_blank">How to handle the on-screen keyboard like a pro</a></h2><p>Hard to believe we had those virtual keyboards for 15 years and so many apps still fail in handling them properly. If you're in the mobile business - read this guide. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/12/10-usability-rules-keyboard-mobile-app.html" target="_blank">10 basic keyboard rules that any mobile app should comply with</a>. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lmYY3B242Y/X_93EgLavXI/AAAAAAAARMQ/P_2lVAu9jyIFwfMA819iGygJGGZHEYXBACLcBGAsYHQ/s1528/keyboard%2Bguide.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to handle the on-screen keyboard like a pro - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1528" height="396" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lmYY3B242Y/X_93EgLavXI/AAAAAAAARMQ/P_2lVAu9jyIFwfMA819iGygJGGZHEYXBACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h396/keyboard%2Bguide.png" title="How to handle the on-screen keyboard like a pro - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">8. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">84 cognitive biases that will help you design better-converting products</a></h2><p>This is one of the most popular posts of this blog. It includes a crazy list of 84 cognitive biases that can be used to design better-converting products. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">84 cognitive biases guide - part 1</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/10/cognitive-biases-design-better-products-part2.html" target="_blank">84 cognitive biases guide - part 2</a></li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3WEJ2cv-_M/X_94wbufrrI/AAAAAAAARMc/Awc6JFHWxUIy73xE588SaoQWDWgwGADwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1288/cognitive%2Bbiases%2Bguide.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="84 cognitive biases that will help you design better-converting products - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1288" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d3WEJ2cv-_M/X_94wbufrrI/AAAAAAAARMc/Awc6JFHWxUIy73xE588SaoQWDWgwGADwACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/cognitive%2Bbiases%2Bguide.png" title="84 cognitive biases that will help you design better-converting products - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">9. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">The host syndrome: what is it and how to avoid it in your product</a></h2><p>imagine you walk into a hotel and the manager, the concierge, the chef, the masseuse, and the lifeguard are all jumping at you, asking you to check-in, make dinner reservations, sign your health statement, and collect your towels - simultaneously!</p><p>How would you feel? Exactly like getting all popups thrown at you exactly at the same time... </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">Understanding the Host Syndrome in product management and how to avoid it</a>. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLVwZ946t30AVR8XHdmgXZEAmh8Dv_c1daMla0J5cuE0aJKB0Ehjpgoh49UnBuA6CXnDvP3uXTELIpHAkulHWs2hl9EO414hDuxR02qFljmkcZRl42Y-9gIwoxwlFi9HDC8yku32FigUsPDENRsmhQFsVXEtN85pPpmfoUsUptQISvaEhJ7D81w4AVzQ/s1716/the%20host%20syndrome%20-%20cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The host syndrome in product product management - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="1716" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLVwZ946t30AVR8XHdmgXZEAmh8Dv_c1daMla0J5cuE0aJKB0Ehjpgoh49UnBuA6CXnDvP3uXTELIpHAkulHWs2hl9EO414hDuxR02qFljmkcZRl42Y-9gIwoxwlFi9HDC8yku32FigUsPDENRsmhQFsVXEtN85pPpmfoUsUptQISvaEhJ7D81w4AVzQ/w640-h510/the%20host%20syndrome%20-%20cover.png" title="The host syndrome in product product management - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">10. <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">A simple Midjourney guide</a> </h2><p>All your friends are creating cool images and you're still not on Discord? </p><p>Time to dive into it. This easy guide will get you started in minutes so you can create your own Thanos Terminator. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">Midjourney - the guide (for people that don't want to be left behind)</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD5x36XHcc2aNYInh_nOf-rbRIkNU3ldB9IeVlaCXKnb-zQdWNMhH6UMNta6Gqn0_NZ8gUnm_Ie8XTObkRCiWpsK-USgV_adA7uBBlaxVqDqc5dLHjEOgc1F2KtRppy-wrDNbXbDTyCOnn4UfcuVFzR_H3oAOUn-0o4gD8ZJC9qWeTJcR6lOTvwrmdsc/s640/terminator%20thanos%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="640" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD5x36XHcc2aNYInh_nOf-rbRIkNU3ldB9IeVlaCXKnb-zQdWNMhH6UMNta6Gqn0_NZ8gUnm_Ie8XTObkRCiWpsK-USgV_adA7uBBlaxVqDqc5dLHjEOgc1F2KtRppy-wrDNbXbDTyCOnn4UfcuVFzR_H3oAOUn-0o4gD8ZJC9qWeTJcR6lOTvwrmdsc/w640-h408/terminator%20thanos%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this collection. </p><p>Be sure to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">Subscribe to my newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-78333574217489676812024-02-11T14:00:00.000-08:002024-02-11T14:00:11.019-08:00Five product management guides to start the week with<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqoSRVVVfCwgdhcTBgOVzFjM9fug62maNEm-HNj1MX9mbaQJEsWIt176XKzKspSzRFufC1TYYp0gmTb1syhyphenhypheniRb2IGHU0oTnF-xlGT1pCKiwukTGKnQwuFEGxG_HMr7MQfLIR44NW3H5PppvslnVLSSOpB3WpjZXSbwz4dm-JBFiYsGKNa41aHKVUnuI/s640/Product-led-growth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Product led growth guide - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqoSRVVVfCwgdhcTBgOVzFjM9fug62maNEm-HNj1MX9mbaQJEsWIt176XKzKspSzRFufC1TYYp0gmTb1syhyphenhypheniRb2IGHU0oTnF-xlGT1pCKiwukTGKnQwuFEGxG_HMr7MQfLIR44NW3H5PppvslnVLSSOpB3WpjZXSbwz4dm-JBFiYsGKNa41aHKVUnuI/s16000/Product-led-growth.png" title="Product led growth guide - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Feeling nostalgic, I decided to round up my top 5 product management guides. It's a quick trip down memory lane with my post popular posts.</p><p>Let's dive in! </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Product-led Growth</h2><p>Product-led growth has been around for years, but many product managers still struggle to implement it properly. I've put together a short guide to kick start my reader's knowledge about PLG - so if you're not sure about it - this 10-minute read will get you up to speed.</p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/07/product-led-growth-guide-product-managers.html" target="_blank">Product-led growth - the pocket guide every product person should read</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. MVPs</h2><p>Fed up with the endless "Is this really an MVP?" debates? Jump into my ultimate list of MVP flavors and settle those disputes once and for all.</p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/06/10-shades-of-mvp.html" target="_blank">10 shades of MVP (or: how to develop a product without developing a product...)</a></p><p><br /></p><h2>3. Early adopters</h2><p>Noticed a shift from your first users to the later ones? You might be in the early adopter's trap. Dive into my guide on early adopters and their impact on your product's success.</p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/02/beware-of-early-adopters.html" target="_blank">The good, the bad, and the ugly side of your early adopters</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Retention rate and cohort analysis</h2><p>One of my all-time favorite posts. Retention is such an important topic and this guide tackles it from 4 different angles. Took me few years to implement those techniques with my startup, and few more hours to write it down ;-). It's a must-read packed with insights!</p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/cohort-analysis-retention-rate.html" target="_blank">Cohort analysis - 4 ways to analyze your product retention rate</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Payments and conversion rates</h2><p>Asking users to pay changes the vibe from chill to thriller overnight: trust issues, drop offs, grand expectations. Dodge the mass user exodus with my guide on integrating payments without causing a user apocalypse. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/09/10-lessons-learned-payment-through-our.html" target="_blank">10 lessons learned from asking our users to pay</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-57929773148733668482023-10-06T02:20:00.000-07:002023-10-12T14:39:23.980-07:00Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cmR8j81kWlsHvoq-INzt4xP8mUA_zGf-EJzaMhod2MXoQwYzzNNoz8OrtOArzKvkzOHBQiRCSzGjLdX1NQce3pnaLOGcOIb9T-uPHBNcfB6HtdxgqNxG9yByJgVqzQFyjSyhmlpeuO0P1v_ogd6nhsVuwSRRhOm5_VVnPXvh4Win_CXNNWuOUiSc/s756/manipulative%20graphs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="756" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cmR8j81kWlsHvoq-INzt4xP8mUA_zGf-EJzaMhod2MXoQwYzzNNoz8OrtOArzKvkzOHBQiRCSzGjLdX1NQce3pnaLOGcOIb9T-uPHBNcfB6HtdxgqNxG9yByJgVqzQFyjSyhmlpeuO0P1v_ogd6nhsVuwSRRhOm5_VVnPXvh4Win_CXNNWuOUiSc/s16000/manipulative%20graphs.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Know that feeling when you're trying to create a narrative and support it with data, but data doesn't play along? </p><p>We’ve all been there, tweaking our graphs a little bit - stretching here, bending there… massaging the data to support our story and emphasize the trend... without lying of course.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Manipulative graphs are 100% accurate but misleading. They show true data but go through some “tweaking” to better support the story being told. </blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>In this post, I’ll teach you the<b> dark art </b>of manipulating your graphs <b>without</b> losing too much credibility. </p><p>And if you’re on the receiving end, this post will help you <b>spot dishonest graphs</b> immediately, so nobody could fool you with those cheap tricks. </p><p><br /></p><p>Spreadsheets and reports lovers - this post is for you!</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Data trimming </h2><p>They say trimming split ends can make your hair look healthier. It's the same with graphs. </p><p>For example, if your sales are slowing down, you can drop the most recent 1-2 months. If someone asks, you can always say you didn’t have the time to refresh the data. </p><p>Of course, if you see something like that, ask for the latest numbers. Good companies should be able to pull the data easily. If they don’t - they are either hiding something or just not as technical as they should be. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK-z-PlGEhRypvgh-aJDXtj_kZYRlC2-KacBB-1WlRyCIrMq-IySP7spWpG18nczamJgMHar9L9pRolNpuV7hKwwVwUazHs2c2VmFohD-06YkKTZtbF3xZinwdurI8xMENwG8K4dh8xyMgn58iKAQzIZN8I8fjokX0Pyuz5mC7EAiYVYuV-NM2eM8/s845/trimmed%20data.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK-z-PlGEhRypvgh-aJDXtj_kZYRlC2-KacBB-1WlRyCIrMq-IySP7spWpG18nczamJgMHar9L9pRolNpuV7hKwwVwUazHs2c2VmFohD-06YkKTZtbF3xZinwdurI8xMENwG8K4dh8xyMgn58iKAQzIZN8I8fjokX0Pyuz5mC7EAiYVYuV-NM2eM8/w640-h384/trimmed%20data.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And if they ask, just say the graph is a bit outdated...</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Changing the time resolution </h2><p>Random peaks are bad for your trend line. </p><p>When a graph shows unsustainable peaks - changing the time resolution can flatten the volatility and create a more consistent trend line. </p><p>For example, if your startup ran into occasional hype, and you cannot sustain it - you might want to flatten it by increasing the time resolution from quarters to years:</p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmiP4gVjJ8hvsFqUnj2aExTHNhEyeA5Epa1kKOOV9oXatGRxt54lENrXRaO7k9c_PgCW-_Y7uoVqR0RuDqkPy2nDZ9rgwCcJqkiGqp148E_pfrNuvL2-QOBD4KrhqP-ZrbAP6iM6ztbaugL0fNMb_Oxrcf8Vccp40236aCX1l4bNvwtIZNkPb1b4H/s845/quarter%20vs%20year.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmiP4gVjJ8hvsFqUnj2aExTHNhEyeA5Epa1kKOOV9oXatGRxt54lENrXRaO7k9c_PgCW-_Y7uoVqR0RuDqkPy2nDZ9rgwCcJqkiGqp148E_pfrNuvL2-QOBD4KrhqP-ZrbAP6iM6ztbaugL0fNMb_Oxrcf8Vccp40236aCX1l4bNvwtIZNkPb1b4H/w640-h384/quarter%20vs%20year.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same data, different story</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Now, this example might seem extreme but it can happen, especially in low-scale startups operating in dynamic markets. Always remember: </p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Different time resolutions = different stories</blockquote><p></p><p>And if you're reviewing a graph that seems to be slowing down a bit - consider it a red flag. </p><p>Ask to zoom in. Ask the hard questions until the truth is discovered. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Presenting cumulative data </h2><p>So you're working on a <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-build-kick-ass-pitch-deck-with-simple-storyline.html" target="_blank">kick-ass pitch deck</a>, but your growth numbers are too depressing? </p><p>Cumulative data is the easiest trick in the book; you add successive inputs in the data model to ensure that the graph only goes in one direction - and that’s up. </p><p>A perfect way to make your sales numbers look better!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELjF7aYEwcCLyZmHZUSDltop1qGA1jD9FzFsENSeKYAhW8SRAnrM3NjWbf6T-1Y7ZboE-un_enK38vvUb3kyw5a0S-VANjd-YEZByJOgug4BEc6EkQec5AjKBrVuPLtBeORkfyMi-JhJtDqJsUnqw-2IaxT3M-zaiHch8arrnwqC9RPCDed8z6DjW/s845/Cumulative.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELjF7aYEwcCLyZmHZUSDltop1qGA1jD9FzFsENSeKYAhW8SRAnrM3NjWbf6T-1Y7ZboE-un_enK38vvUb3kyw5a0S-VANjd-YEZByJOgug4BEc6EkQec5AjKBrVuPLtBeORkfyMi-JhJtDqJsUnqw-2IaxT3M-zaiHch8arrnwqC9RPCDed8z6DjW/w640-h384/Cumulative.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graph not going up? Switch to cumulative...</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Now, I know what you're thinking: “<b>Who would be so stupid to use such a dumb trick?</b>” </p><p>Well, how about <a href="https://qz.com/122921/the-chart-tim-cook-doesnt-want-you-to-see" target="_blank">mighty Apple</a>? </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Changing graph dimensions <span> </span></h2><p>If you’re looking for some intelligent tricks, this is <b>not</b> one of them… (but I promise there are some better ones down the list).</p><p>Your graph doesn’t look impressive enough? Stretch it up a bit - that will do it! 🤦🏻♂️</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJr5EvQgZ48VPUn8X45qTYTm6Obn9kmQe67yokfvZoPAmMjzw9d39heTiq4o24KabGJz0FtqXtnDFoMtErjT4QF0ae5_pp851E-4Drm9O6Ht3lG9VGHWFwOMYa_KaTXLHxYgWYT-BtoL0FnOu-Y9soRrQK86gDN7omMGuVn5zseb7G9zizOiI3178/s845/TALL%20GRAPH.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJr5EvQgZ48VPUn8X45qTYTm6Obn9kmQe67yokfvZoPAmMjzw9d39heTiq4o24KabGJz0FtqXtnDFoMtErjT4QF0ae5_pp851E-4Drm9O6Ht3lG9VGHWFwOMYa_KaTXLHxYgWYT-BtoL0FnOu-Y9soRrQK86gDN7omMGuVn5zseb7G9zizOiI3178/w640-h384/TALL%20GRAPH.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never trust the tall guys. They are always hiding something. </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">Of course, if you just deep dive into the actual numbers you will notice the growth isn’t as impressive as it looks… </p><p><br /></p><p>Check out these other guides: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/11/design-ui-tables-20-rules-guide.html" target="_blank">How to design data tables that don't suck - the 20 rules guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">The all-in-one guide to high-converting CTA buttons</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/12/10-usability-rules-keyboard-mobile-app.html" target="_blank">How to handle the on-screen keyboard without messing up your app usability</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Changing the baseline</h2><p>Trend is too weak? Change the baseline and witness the magic!</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2DytLJYTG_mRs7PAMa0LVcDEkWMKuGAB_HqdfteVKmGAaNqOdpWEC1088fPF8vwLIz2RG6dz-p23qYPF7eVlboFriOQapFXn5cGzXhmtcjZrtAQ_pV5iEVKOkw0uqi3YhZFWVLXTgdk41ILrAz-oCRMSjmZCpdP3qgL3JfR3X-FqY2A9dXAXwKYQ/s845/Truncaded.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2DytLJYTG_mRs7PAMa0LVcDEkWMKuGAB_HqdfteVKmGAaNqOdpWEC1088fPF8vwLIz2RG6dz-p23qYPF7eVlboFriOQapFXn5cGzXhmtcjZrtAQ_pV5iEVKOkw0uqi3YhZFWVLXTgdk41ILrAz-oCRMSjmZCpdP3qgL3JfR3X-FqY2A9dXAXwKYQ/w640-h384/Truncaded.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Trend is too weak? Change the baseline and witness the magic!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>This one is called a Torn Graph (or Truncated Graph) and it's hard to spot when done gently (no need to truncate the whole axis like I did in my illustration), so always make sure to look at the Y-Axis before diving into the trends. </p><p><br /></p><p>OK, time to elevate this list with a touch of sophistication:</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Event data vs cohort-based data </h2><p>You all know the <a href="https://support.chargebee.com/support/solutions/articles/256020-what-is-the-difference-between-cohort-and-event-based-reporting-in-retention-#:~:text=What%27s%20Different%20between%20Cohorted%20and,they%20are%20reporting%20on%20occurred." target="_blank">difference between cohort-based and event-based reporting</a>, right? </p><p>Switching from cohort to event-based graphs can dramatically change the story, so you can use it to your advantage. </p><p>Let's take an example: </p><p>Imagine your early cohorts are performing pretty well, but over time, you notice that newer cohorts are showing lower numbers (where numbers can represent orders, revenue, engagement, or whatever you're measuring). </p><p>BTW, this is a known phenomenon where <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/02/beware-of-early-adopters.html" target="_blank">early adopters are often behaving differently than the majority of users</a>. </p><p>Here's the data you're looking at: </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYljL_F9R_PZxI7NjmqHDTfVriezJDG5CAqleWsVFj0d84bhWpmxiRlzvVDJW5wfBgjb4wz3B8DIKLdW4uX6-MkiHjPPYv1thUDPOECmZDoyJyjr66BuZuJVPrnqleV04ohbleIPQ0CqDGyawbW53jtSgsVjoe6CNTab2oHbcOM01TLlqSif9qhN3l/s619/table%20data.jpg"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="619" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYljL_F9R_PZxI7NjmqHDTfVriezJDG5CAqleWsVFj0d84bhWpmxiRlzvVDJW5wfBgjb4wz3B8DIKLdW4uX6-MkiHjPPYv1thUDPOECmZDoyJyjr66BuZuJVPrnqleV04ohbleIPQ0CqDGyawbW53jtSgsVjoe6CNTab2oHbcOM01TLlqSif9qhN3l/w640-h198/table%20data.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>A cohort-based analysis will enveil that the numbers are decreasing: January's cohort started with 90, February's cohort started with 50, and April's cohort started with 20. That's a bad sign. </p><p>However, if you put this exact same data in an event-based graph, the numbers are still, somehow, going up, and that's due to the January cohort that demonstrates a high retention rate and keeps producing good numbers across months: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3GUaa3WyF55_2j5k-meQ4liTm2oSqMXwCwHrCH1lpQkwxq1clA-o8c3l-XwD5FWi8G1iyBncCSgSdzd6-CaHhXfhmMJ4z13PFk9iqbO6wg90O5Yl7md4LQlYN76lCoqw6Ufolb_0sahNLwMvYzWleOi9n9LhRK48WDlGja3OJwwzTcQJe5NUA0TF/s603/event%20based.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="603" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3GUaa3WyF55_2j5k-meQ4liTm2oSqMXwCwHrCH1lpQkwxq1clA-o8c3l-XwD5FWi8G1iyBncCSgSdzd6-CaHhXfhmMJ4z13PFk9iqbO6wg90O5Yl7md4LQlYN76lCoqw6Ufolb_0sahNLwMvYzWleOi9n9LhRK48WDlGja3OJwwzTcQJe5NUA0TF/w640-h426/event%20based.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Of course, any experienced person will want to see a cohort-based graph. </p><p>When you normalize those cohorts to start in "month 0", it's easy to see that each cohort starts at a lower bar. All the red flags are exposed in this graph: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyNuqutWv_x-ebuu0c-XWuyOyGDEzwLkgxXy2oZsHyvpAWSX2mHT7BWu2uM9nX8FsFZz_ixTT4f-zos6XwVSgjT1pJ82TW5wEyw3Xomdd12nZzQHZsorz4M2pKeusfRvI_DpZzkVmYWarLVr_MtP2GcFG4kAhJovfDGxsnXwn5idQp2Xpz3QupRoF/s604/cohort%20based.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="604" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyNuqutWv_x-ebuu0c-XWuyOyGDEzwLkgxXy2oZsHyvpAWSX2mHT7BWu2uM9nX8FsFZz_ixTT4f-zos6XwVSgjT1pJ82TW5wEyw3Xomdd12nZzQHZsorz4M2pKeusfRvI_DpZzkVmYWarLVr_MtP2GcFG4kAhJovfDGxsnXwn5idQp2Xpz3QupRoF/w640-h422/cohort%20based.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The takeaway? </p><p>Cohort-based graphs can tell a different story than event-based graphs. </p><p>You can use this to your advantage, but keep in mind that experienced managers and investors will likely ask to delve into your cohorts, as <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/cohort-analysis-retention-rate.html" target="_blank">cohort analysis</a> is crucial for evaluating performance.</p><p>Here's a summary: </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EPrduwVWLjAiBp7-wjzeDwoMgAecpOluXe3lVo-ct52m5ZmM39M1-n1mKMCByWxbjwH9RrLTRvGDsVguDATFv6QxCaFDRo3bB70Hnu6QIX2eA6kiRY7cwlBoDK97JqpjaCOsIxEAfkReFKSQJRIi7OcQ7nLgRBiZMqvZlfjy5zWDViPG0a9t6Wp5/s845/cohort%20vs%20event%20based.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EPrduwVWLjAiBp7-wjzeDwoMgAecpOluXe3lVo-ct52m5ZmM39M1-n1mKMCByWxbjwH9RrLTRvGDsVguDATFv6QxCaFDRo3bB70Hnu6QIX2eA6kiRY7cwlBoDK97JqpjaCOsIxEAfkReFKSQJRIi7OcQ7nLgRBiZMqvZlfjy5zWDViPG0a9t6Wp5/w640-h384/cohort%20vs%20event%20based.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Cohort-based graphs tell a different story than event-based graphs</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>And if you're really into cohorts and retention rates, check out my guide: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/cohort-analysis-retention-rate.html" target="_blank">Cohort analysis - 4 ways to analyze your product retention rate</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Using filters</h2><p>For my next tweak, I'll refer to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">the difference between soft-activated and hard-activated users</a>. </p><p>Soft-activated users are those who used your product once or twice but haven’t fully converted to “hard-activated” users, meaning, they <b>tried</b> it (maybe even <b>paid</b> for it), but didn’t turn it into their habit. </p><p>Different products have different definitions of hard vs. soft activated users. </p><p>For example, tourists using a scooter rental app might use it once or twice during their short vacation, and then they will stop, and not because something was wrong with the product. </p><p>Does it mean they churned? No, that means they were never real hard-activated users, they were "soft-activated" (more about it <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </p><p>Why is this important? </p><p>Because having a lot of soft-activated users will crush your retention graphs. </p><p>So why not <b>exclude</b> those bad users from your reports? They didn't belong there in the first place! </p><p>See how this horrifying 5% retention rate turns into a sexy 40% retention rate: </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdq6-gDsqraPX9VzdgpyQrCZYDIuZoPPO5wWOk1yExOuu4ysDZe8MUCNR4A2Zo-dJXSvFAyhRQX0L5VxgbmS266skozu-JbRsjGhyfEVaZVgPkDVYPPE_pd7BqM5A7iBm_jN6wQHZOU3axnVOgVKoOiUYR8yWvmAqwjwA5EUeXlC8sGnDVvqq07_L/s845/retention%20filter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdq6-gDsqraPX9VzdgpyQrCZYDIuZoPPO5wWOk1yExOuu4ysDZe8MUCNR4A2Zo-dJXSvFAyhRQX0L5VxgbmS266skozu-JbRsjGhyfEVaZVgPkDVYPPE_pd7BqM5A7iBm_jN6wQHZOU3axnVOgVKoOiUYR8yWvmAqwjwA5EUeXlC8sGnDVvqq07_L/w640-h384/retention%20filter.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filtering out bad users can make or break your graph</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Filtering out data from your charts might feel misleading or dishonest, but if you're transparent about it and do it consistently across all of your reports then it can work. </p><p>If you want to manipulate your reports, filter out bad users when it serves your narrative (like in this retention rate graphs), and include them in other reports such as top-line revenue graphs. </p><div>But if you’re on the receiving end, keep an eye on those filters and make sure to always ask what are you looking at, and is it all the data or only part of it. </div><p>The enemy is sophisticated. </p><p>Ask questions about the cohorts, the dates, the filters, etc. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Switching from users to revenue (or vice versa) </h2><p>Your graph doesn’t play along with your desired trend?</p><p>Try switching from revenue to users, from users to organizations, from organizations to actions, or back to revenue... 🤦🏻♂️</p><p>Exhaust all possibilities until you find the one that most effectively supports your narrative:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3roIoFyJioanZuyTGXiSBywnTnXQI3nIwceJ9J8_iuXPEUk6i0tzK2xZrDmNW9cbR1p52JhbilA6uW3NuacvxFkcV0z0Y8pEp1UOSGOyrPOfDSG1hU--tNk_N_cKKAqbdnSSRfohUbkSWXftOZkU4w_m-1OMou8jlJHBkvy5GPIBIlfZ106Vh_IMb/s845/retention%20rate%20based%20on%20revenue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="845" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3roIoFyJioanZuyTGXiSBywnTnXQI3nIwceJ9J8_iuXPEUk6i0tzK2xZrDmNW9cbR1p52JhbilA6uW3NuacvxFkcV0z0Y8pEp1UOSGOyrPOfDSG1hU--tNk_N_cKKAqbdnSSRfohUbkSWXftOZkU4w_m-1OMou8jlJHBkvy5GPIBIlfZ106Vh_IMb/w640-h384/retention%20rate%20based%20on%20revenue.jpg" title="Same data, different stories: How to manipulate the graphs to support your narrative" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 28% retention rate is OK, but 85% is waaaaay better!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Here, again, you should decide how transparent you want to be. </p><p>I'm in favor of being 100% transparent and making the titles as informative as possible. It's legit to emphasize the most impressive graphs that support your narrative but keep in mind that experienced reviewers will know how to ask the right questions and what to look for, so any dishonesty will eventually be exposed.</p><p><br /></p><p>- - -</p><p>That's it for this one, and if not - make sure to leave me a comment. </p><p>Before you drop off, make sure to subscribe to my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">occasional newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-86821770698228650182023-08-31T15:39:00.000-07:002024-02-12T13:14:36.773-08:00The host syndrome: what is it and how to avoid it in your product <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXXM20Ldk0nmohdknk0Kc1RwXAQXns_VtqIfLt6yL7BiJK9C1M0y2-WMkgrKeyx7GT6ThFo6RF0mk2n9DIM8u9ViLplMDcVekKKJn4QumIltsuKvWbvJ4atWfxP2UbVRPL-HepgFJmIpRXKAXwPWWIErcKJI2QJ0bl45oYlzCOvalo0pgNHiTrKpbl=s1716" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the host syndrome - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="1716" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXXM20Ldk0nmohdknk0Kc1RwXAQXns_VtqIfLt6yL7BiJK9C1M0y2-WMkgrKeyx7GT6ThFo6RF0mk2n9DIM8u9ViLplMDcVekKKJn4QumIltsuKvWbvJ4atWfxP2UbVRPL-HepgFJmIpRXKAXwPWWIErcKJI2QJ0bl45oYlzCOvalo0pgNHiTrKpbl=s16000" title="the host syndrome - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Imagine you walk into a barbecue party and just when you’re about to grab a beer and sit down with some old friends - the party host jumps at you, gives you a long tour around the house, brags about the renovated pool, forces you to try out all the appetizers, and introduces you to his neighbors that you’ll never see again. </span></div><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>I call this phenomenon "<b>the host syndrome</b>”.</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>host syndrome</b> happens when the host tries too hard to impress the guests and make them aware of the efforts made to arrange the party and appreciate things nobody cares about, usually resulting in the exact opposite. </p><p>Like many <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">cognitive biases</a>, the host syndrome creates a blind spot that turns the host into an annoying creature.</p><p>This phenomenon can be found in software products too. For example, product creators (AKA the hosts) often push their product features too aggressively, causing their guests (AKA the users) to feel uncomfortable and lose interest. </p><p>Let me walk you through the hosts' metaverse (wanted to use the term "metaverse" and that's what I came up with) and how to cure those symptoms: </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. A loyalty program at your face</h2><p>Imagine this: you search for some content online, run into a website, and before you get a chance to read anything - boom: a “<b>subscribe to our newsletter!</b>” popup is covering 70% of your screen. </p><p>- “Sure!” You’re thinking… “why not donate my email to this random website?” </p><p>In the physical world, this madness is like getting into a new restaurant, and instead of getting a menu, the waiter asks you to join a loyalty program. </p><p>The hosts (in this case the website owners) are confident that their content is so good that people will immediately realize it and subscribe, but that’s not usually the case.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Value first, commitments later</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>As I wrote in my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/07/product-led-growth-guide-product-managers.html" target="_blank">product-led growth pocket guide</a> - any kind of commitment required from the users (whether it’s a payment, a tedious sign-up form, and even a newsletter subscription) should come <b>AFTER</b> they witnessed the value of the product. </p><p>That's why you need to restrain your appetite, monitor the behavior of your users, and wait for the right timing to make your move. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. A colossal amount of pop-ups</h2><p>Ever opened a mobile app and the first thing you got was a series of permission requests (notifications, location, etc.) piled on top of each other? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVsdLLm3XSvq80c1ilKVnY2HSgc6sE9XPZU-P4-OEH7kWqAurQXzTc6ocHsXHa-mUAHgKotLvUfgT3oUs6CwaRKcPF20TUuTBTNbKzwJosYEfsIQwg5eqQxn402ExQc_b_E2f_ZaVZ8tQVxgZ7AxCMlq28wPQWTi2Mi79_KEDwXz-PXUiqzrA4HZUMAc/s2433/host%20syndrome%20example.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The host syndrome - too many popups - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="1320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVsdLLm3XSvq80c1ilKVnY2HSgc6sE9XPZU-P4-OEH7kWqAurQXzTc6ocHsXHa-mUAHgKotLvUfgT3oUs6CwaRKcPF20TUuTBTNbKzwJosYEfsIQwg5eqQxn402ExQc_b_E2f_ZaVZ8tQVxgZ7AxCMlq28wPQWTi2Mi79_KEDwXz-PXUiqzrA4HZUMAc/w348-h640/host%20syndrome%20example.png" title="The host syndrome - too many popups - the mobile spoon" width="348" /></a></div><p>Who’s the goof that designed it, right? </p><p>Welcome screens, notification privileges, location privileges, product tips… there are just so many bureaucratic tasks to handle when a new user comes in! </p><p>It’s like walking into a hotel and having the manager, the concierge, the chef, the masseuse, and the lifeguard all jumping at you, asking you to check-in, make dinner reservations, sign your health statement, and collect your towels - simultaneously. </p><p>This inelegant experience doesn't exist in the physical world, but it exists in bad products. </p><p>It happens when products fail to plan a gradual and subtle onboarding process, and instead, just throw everything they've got at their poor users. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Base your requests on user intent</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Postpone permission requests to the <b>right moment</b>, when the user has the intent of doing something that requires those permissions (for example, allowing push notifications in order to get a reminder for something that was just created in the app). </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Exhausting interrogations</h2><p>With this type of host syndrome, the poor users have to go through a long tedious questionnaire before they can use the product. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRR1yffzyDi8ivNF1QYqHqzly7KTDAI8BHck0XbcdEsJWdzGjQCE6nSXjdvfUeWLNPMY-Y9lx-vERP2Eek_o81zPeaj_3-sgOrycTwYjn6zK-UKx0LFBTSd2Jew6fxSCqeW-L7nYmJpxhV9WWUqNIw2KV8F9H4jX9vyEeiU6CZveyF4Kuwa-gbByhM=s1296" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Exhausting questioners during onboarding - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1296" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRR1yffzyDi8ivNF1QYqHqzly7KTDAI8BHck0XbcdEsJWdzGjQCE6nSXjdvfUeWLNPMY-Y9lx-vERP2Eek_o81zPeaj_3-sgOrycTwYjn6zK-UKx0LFBTSd2Jew6fxSCqeW-L7nYmJpxhV9WWUqNIw2KV8F9H4jX9vyEeiU6CZveyF4Kuwa-gbByhM=w400-h238" title="Exhausting questioners during onboarding - the mobile spoon" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>It’s like having a Foot Locker sales associate standing outside of the store, asking about your shoe size, exercise habits, favorite colors, Michael or LeBron, instead of just letting you in.</p><p>When you imagine the physical equivalent of such experience it feels ridiculous, and yet, many digital products are doing exactly that. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>To minimize drop-outs, ask for what’s really important</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>So whenever you’re about to throw another step at your new users, ask yourself the following: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Is it really necessary to have this step completed during onboarding? </li><li>Are you risking losing users by adding this step? </li><li>Could it overlap with another step that's already part of the existing onboarding process? </li><li>Is that the kind of behavior your guests would appreciate if you hosted a party or opened a restaurant?</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Dumb walkthroughs </h2><p>A dumb walkthrough happens when a company decides to improve user onboarding by implementing a tool such as Intercom or WalkMe, or any of their alternatives, and completely <b>misuse</b> (or <b>overuse</b>) it to turn the lives of the users into a living hell. </p><p>At its’ worst, a product tour <b>shadows</b> the entire screen and <b>forces</b> the users to try out features they don’t care about, one button at a time, without being able to opt-out and put an end to their misery. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcVqa4LFw2jvXJA27-iTXOG-IWBxuLVjN-rkRVbtc1-OcVj6yLvvRmz9F6_iUjQOf-38dahp93BbJtS6kBM6zGfWk2IAuqZiscqIjPJ2-qiU4W4ocOkchRBfD2MMFDyi0h7mMRmIq6rs4vYO7TdFS18yORgZ0pvar3dy9nxfnv_MDXY-h7DaoN2miP=s1296" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dumb walkthroughs - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1296" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcVqa4LFw2jvXJA27-iTXOG-IWBxuLVjN-rkRVbtc1-OcVj6yLvvRmz9F6_iUjQOf-38dahp93BbJtS6kBM6zGfWk2IAuqZiscqIjPJ2-qiU4W4ocOkchRBfD2MMFDyi0h7mMRmIq6rs4vYO7TdFS18yORgZ0pvar3dy9nxfnv_MDXY-h7DaoN2miP=w400-h238" title="Dumb walkthroughs - the mobile spoon" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Why do I think it’s dumb, you ask? </p><p>Well, to begin with, it’s an invasive technique that cuts users off, just when their interest has peaked. In addition, it slows them down just as they’re getting started, wastes their energy, and provides too much information, often out of context, without creating real engagement. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>Bite-sized tips instead of lengthy walkthroughs</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>If you insist on helping your users to get familiar with your product - I would consider the following best practices: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Replace lengthy walkthroughs with bite-sized tips </li><li>Don’t overwhelm your users with too many tips at once</li><li>Instead, only show tips that are relevant to the context they’re in</li><li>Never block your users when showing a tip and always provide an easy way out</li><li>Always think about <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/progressive-disclosure/" target="_blank">progressive disclosure</a> - and let your users discover the greatness of your product gradually </li><li>Use product tours to introduce new capabilities to existing users, but leave your first-timers out of it </li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Asking “Was it good for you?” too soon</h2><p>Ever got the “<b>enjoying our app?</b>” message right after signing up? It’s funny when it happens but it happened to me more than once. </p><p>Nudging users to provide positive reviews is a legit move, but just like with real-life relationships, asking too soon feels like a desperate move (“I just got here, don’t they have real users to ask?”), and desperate moves turn users off. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here, just like with newsletter subscriptions, you must wait for the right timing: </p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Never ask for a rating on the first launch or during onboarding</li><li>Wait for the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">aha moment</a> to happen, then ask for a review</li><li>Make sure you are not interrupting the user in the middle of something</li><li>If the user refuses, wait a significant amount of time before asking again</li></ol><p>Learn more about aha moments and <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">the difference between soft-activated and hard-activated users</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Take it easy</h3><p>You worked hard to build the product, and it's only natural that you want everyone to know how great it is and how many things it can do.</p><p>But guess what, you are not the story. Your users are, and they are just like those party guests; they don't care about the decorations or the special desserts that you ordered. They just want to grab a beer, hang out with their friends, and have a good time. </p><p>And once they get what THEY came for, they’ll be happy and stick around. </p><p><br /></p><p>Had fun reading? Do me a big favor (so I don't need to block you with my newsletter popup) and <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a>. Rumor says it makes you 23% more awesome than average. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-48925417292922347902023-07-01T02:36:00.000-07:002024-02-11T14:02:01.182-08:00These tools will boost your ChatGPT productivity in 2023<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4z_FaSk8OQzmUeJQHke2n1DYgD74O7LNGxUdxb7nrMgU34Vhspw_P-YKlS-Z-AWj-zw8g0C38UOOsoGSPsPjlWIRRe8-F0hg-Pm9Wgo_c7VmUhwXnng3lhqPkKvyAU5wMmcREVuJYKaGeqXK0FsidZkca4NS0_rC9N0_5axhFmgYO96wJ3-k49p5V/s1225/Mobile%20Spoon%20-%20Do%20More%20with%20ChatGPT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="More Productivity Tools with ChatGPT - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4z_FaSk8OQzmUeJQHke2n1DYgD74O7LNGxUdxb7nrMgU34Vhspw_P-YKlS-Z-AWj-zw8g0C38UOOsoGSPsPjlWIRRe8-F0hg-Pm9Wgo_c7VmUhwXnng3lhqPkKvyAU5wMmcREVuJYKaGeqXK0FsidZkca4NS0_rC9N0_5axhFmgYO96wJ3-k49p5V/s16000/Mobile%20Spoon%20-%20Do%20More%20with%20ChatGPT.jpg" title="More Productivity Tools with ChatGPT - The Mobile Spoon" /></a></div><br /><p>Unhappy with ChatGPT standard app? Feel like getting much more out of this amazing Generative AI technology but the tool slows you down, or is not friendly enough? </p><p>Check out these alternatives/additional tools to get more out of ChatGPT: run multiple prompts in parallel, add fresh data to your chat results, and get inline links to the original sources - enjoy! </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. ChatGPT + fresh content + source links = Bing!</h2><p>Wow! Microsoft has been pushing Bing and Edge aggressively since the AI craze started, and I'm impressed with the results!</p><p>I installed Microsoft Edge on both my Mac and <a href="https://capitaloneshopping.com/s/apple.com/coupon" target="_blank">iPhone</a> and activated the integrated Chat module. So now I have the new Bing (which is basically ChatGPT on steroids) as a standalone app, available on desktop and mobile - for free! </p><p>Bing adds some nice features to the chat experience such as inline links, sources, and follow-up questions - those extra features provide a superior user experience to the standard (and pretty lame) ChatGPT.</p><p>Here's what happened when I asked the old ChatGPT and the new Bing about <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">the "host syndrome"</a> - a term I coined in <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a> from January 2022: </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT_hLkia7SxnwWtuQ3yIH1UTQdzklqrKlxoukiCpmebrQQ6nTJdGqP0AVH9311LnYtDnI3JrWrAtbDtX0Z2fjOVL50HAzMY6wKWGdmVPT-cCOY127mCqhMuln6LvBaZYAFlF6R8tt88CycO0N1CANlQJ_9mJ2GHVQn5n8grrq713r8tNYcQTJTmvY/s1251/ChatGPT%20vs%20New%20Bing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ChatGPT vs. the New Bing - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1251" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT_hLkia7SxnwWtuQ3yIH1UTQdzklqrKlxoukiCpmebrQQ6nTJdGqP0AVH9311LnYtDnI3JrWrAtbDtX0Z2fjOVL50HAzMY6wKWGdmVPT-cCOY127mCqhMuln6LvBaZYAFlF6R8tt88CycO0N1CANlQJ_9mJ2GHVQn5n8grrq713r8tNYcQTJTmvY/w640-h436/ChatGPT%20vs%20New%20Bing.jpg" title="ChatGPT vs. the New Bing - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bing shows recent content and adds inline source links to each sentence</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>BTW, if you're still on Bing's waiting list, there are 2 other alternative search engines already powered by ChatGPT: <a href="http://You.com" target="_blank">You.com</a> and <a href="http://perplexity.ai" target="_blank">perplexity.ai</a>. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Activate multiple prompts in parallel using Google Sheets Add-on</h2><p>If you like spreadsheets, you’ll love <a href="https://gptforwork.com/" target="_blank">GPT for Work</a> - a Google Sheets add-on that lets you use GPT functions natively and embed them in your cells. </p><p>The advantages: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>You can create your own user interface for ChatGPT</li><li>You can add multiple prompts in different cells and have them ready for use</li><li>You can activate multiple prompts in parallel! </li></ol><p></p><p>Example: write a sentence and let ChatGPT explain it on one cell, rewrite it on another cell, and expand on the topic on the third cell. </p><p>This add-on is a killer, see <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT2hwwsVibQyDaXW6weZ18vVeESmL0WANwmdlpA2HX07aFtblpTZUjtWtQEPmyzCGDnO5Cx7OUA2lyU/pubhtml#" target="_blank">full documentation here</a>.</p><p>I designed some pre-built templates with my most popular prompts, and I can trigger multiple requests in parallel. This is by far the fastest and most customizable method to use ChatGPT for reviewing/creating content. </p><p>In the example below, I pasted the text from <a href="https://www.businessofapps.com/news/only-1-in-5-who-download-fintech-app-will-sign-up-during-first-week/" target="_blank">this report</a> and triggered 3 ChatGPT prompts in parallel: </p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnq-Cl-fVMTTq2f2LV7OmaVLXBwFYf0ySL7hPqaMtQ8p1fA5BFlWOOoMoOEyAdYKWiZETtcCPjyRBM_xXNxzF97AShQQpSV_wg8cSP4hJfybP_N7qlTeePRNjGMPliSrlUBu5SFJb_wqb6t6ku2GKZIEbkGmXrpK1jvG5kcMOMsLxa_phuFFXjBMDx/s1301/spreadysheet%20add%20on.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="GPT For Work - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="1301" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnq-Cl-fVMTTq2f2LV7OmaVLXBwFYf0ySL7hPqaMtQ8p1fA5BFlWOOoMoOEyAdYKWiZETtcCPjyRBM_xXNxzF97AShQQpSV_wg8cSP4hJfybP_N7qlTeePRNjGMPliSrlUBu5SFJb_wqb6t6ku2GKZIEbkGmXrpK1jvG5kcMOMsLxa_phuFFXjBMDx/w640-h280/spreadysheet%20add%20on.jpg" title="GPT For Work - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summaries straight in your spreadsheet cells - GPT For Work</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Other examples can involve more sophisticated queries such as defining the sentiment of a certain text or guessing the gender based on a name. If you pack it up with reports and other data sheets - these capabilities can become extremely handy. </p><p><b>Here's another cool example: </b></p><p>I wanted to see how my tweets are performing over the past few months, so I exported them as a CSV.</p><p>Next to each tweet, I added some GPT formulas to analyze the <b>style</b> and <b>sentiment</b> of each tweet. Now, think about how to use such capabilities for reviewing your customer feedback, reviews, etc. Pretty amazing isn't it? </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKTLBWwxymbVtXAmnM-S7V-nMtyFHCPY7jdxmgzZI13yrpq2ea0X9TKpngTY0IdYHQjxTWlg3vgVt1KhNmbhaWScdRvxYqd3-Dl6RWJHjjn61FIHLElP1fHbY-iggn1KyT__F1H_V4FxSrfXMI5NPA78aZW7L6wPhnswCMRtg30CKhObUznWUQm5K/s1285/Analyze%20Twitter%20with%20ChatGPT%20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Analyze your tweets style and sentiment with ChatGPT - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1285" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKTLBWwxymbVtXAmnM-S7V-nMtyFHCPY7jdxmgzZI13yrpq2ea0X9TKpngTY0IdYHQjxTWlg3vgVt1KhNmbhaWScdRvxYqd3-Dl6RWJHjjn61FIHLElP1fHbY-iggn1KyT__F1H_V4FxSrfXMI5NPA78aZW7L6wPhnswCMRtg30CKhObUznWUQm5K/w640-h392/Analyze%20Twitter%20with%20ChatGPT%20.jpg" title="Analyze your tweets style and sentiment with ChatGPT - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Analyze your Twitter activity with ChatGPT</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Equip yourself with the best prompts by checking some resources in my previous <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/5-power-tools-to-get-most-out-of-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">ChatGPT guide</a>.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Call ChatGPT from anywhere with these Siri Shortcuts </h2><p>I created 2 iOS shortcuts that I frequently use from my Mac and iPhone: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-activate-chatgpt-with-siri-and-save-response.html" target="_blank">Activate ChatGPT using Siri’s voice command</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Summarize any website or text with this Smart Summarizer</a></li></ul><p></p><p>With those tools installed on my phone and computer, I can easily grab any website and summarize it, list the key stats, or even turn it into a tweet in a single click. I can also ask ChatGPT questions while driving (and save responses as a note) by using Siri. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Make your chat interaction a bit more social with Poe</h2><p>If you enjoy exploring new tools, Poe is another interesting ChatGPT alternative. </p><p>It’s a mobile chat app (for now) and it has a really cool and intuitive user interface and some nice ways to share answers with others and explore popular topics. </p><p>It was developed by Quora and will probably include its’ huge proprietary knowledge base soon, that's definitely something to keep an eye on. </p><p>Read more about Poe and download it <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/tired-of-chatgpt-give-quoras-poe-try.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Use modern content management tools packed with Generative AI</h2><p><a href="http://Notion.so" target="_blank">Notion.so</a> has a crazy new Generative AI layer that will help you write documents, briefs, and blog posts in a single click. </p><p>I often use <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/06/5-apps-i-use-every-day.html" target="_blank">Craft</a> - a fresh Notion alternative focused more on note creation. It was the first to jump on the Generative AI bandwagon and embed Generative AI capabilities in its' notes editor. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">6. Decorate your content with the right visuals</h2><p>Midjourney is simply mindblowing. In a matter of seconds, you will be able to turn any idea into an image in any artistic style you could possibly think f. </p><p>I've written an <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">in-depth guide to Midjourney</a> with tons of tips to get started quickly and get more from this amazing tool. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bonus tools worth checking</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">* AI Detectors:</h3><p>AI-text detectors - check if your shiny new content sounds robotic using the following tools: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://contentatscale.ai/ai-content-detector/" target="_blank">Content-at-scale AI Detector</a></li><li><a href="https://writer.com/ai-content-detector/" target="_blank">Writer.com AI Content Detector</a></li></ul><div>Warning: if you ask ChatGPT to write something short and candid - those tools are most likely not going to detect it... </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">* Video Summarizer:</h3><div>YouTube Video Summarizer by Glasp is a great way to scan long youtube videos and summarize them into short bullets. Check it out <a href="https://glasp.co/youtube-summary" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That's a wrap for this one - if you enjoyed the read, <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-49454869496972036932023-02-08T14:01:00.003-08:002023-02-27T23:58:44.064-08:00The Visionary's Curse is real. Here's how to deal with it<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTSArviRsjm9aKk6rsAtLoZ16p7VWtAKhylGS5_eHzbWrQMKLibdaM7rOwSykkz7hOyaiqpLj4aEkEmJGrfaQ8Gs5swxU7coicGgRscE12BT9IHSAtQv4j9LOp7dv3hElsH5Xp-qaQWmMvnMY_usz5LxHVWTs10xmHYKtXz7R40poGEGbaCPLHqD_/s736/visionarys%20curse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="The Visionary's Curse - what is it and how to deal with it - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="736" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTSArviRsjm9aKk6rsAtLoZ16p7VWtAKhylGS5_eHzbWrQMKLibdaM7rOwSykkz7hOyaiqpLj4aEkEmJGrfaQ8Gs5swxU7coicGgRscE12BT9IHSAtQv4j9LOp7dv3hElsH5Xp-qaQWmMvnMY_usz5LxHVWTs10xmHYKtXz7R40poGEGbaCPLHqD_/s16000/visionarys%20curse.jpg" title="The Visionary's Curse - what is it and how to deal with it - The Mobile Spoon" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Ever worked with a CEO or a founder who went so far with their vision that it made you lose faith in them? </p><p>Or maybe it was you caught in a situation where your employees didn't share your vision? </p><p>It's called <b>The Visionary's Curse</b>; a phenomenon that refers to the tendency of visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and product managers to become overly focused on their product vision and ignore important feedback and data points that may contradict their assumptions and indicate that their product is not meeting customer needs or is not viable in the market.</p><p></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;">“Being a visionary is a blessing and a curse, you're blessed to see things other people are not able to see but you are cursed to sit in it alone” -- David Banner</p><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The curse is real and dangerous </h2><p>It takes endurance and persistence to build successful products, but going overboard can backfire in various ways: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Leaders get caught up in their own assumptions and ignore market feedback </li><li>The vision becomes too big to feel "achievable" </li><li>Leaders' ambition and optimism come at the expense of their team’s morale and productivity</li><li>Team members lose independence and accountability</li><li>Employees lose trust and confidence in the vision (or the leaders) </li></ol><p></p><p>I've been in a company once, where the founder and CEO went so far ahead with the vision it was merely impossible to follow. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>The farther away he went with his vision, the harder it was for us to align. </blockquote><p></p><p>So eventually, we gave up... </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Not only Founders </h2><p>This can happen to any manager out there that tries to make bold moves. </p><p>It can be a VP of Products trying to change the product strategy or push for a pivot. It can be an R&D manager trying to make organizational changes or move to new technology.</p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">The bigger your vision, the harder it becomes to communicate it properly and get their buy-in.</blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How do you avoid the Visionary's Curse? </h2><p>Here are a few tips that will help you break the Visionary's Curse and unleash your team's potential:</p><p><br /></p><h3>1. Trust your instincts but validate them repeatedly </h3><p>I'm a big believer in "product sense" (experience, intuition, creativity), but relying solely on good instincts is too risky. </p><p>Test your assumptions, validate your hypotheses repeatedly, and seek out customer feedback and market data. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Create <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/06/10-shades-of-mvp.html" target="_blank">quick & dirty MVPs</a> (it can even be a simple landing page)</li><li>Run experimental ad campaigns to check different messaging and value propositions</li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/02/conducting-user-interviews.html" target="_blank">Interview potential customers</a> </li></ul><p></p><p>If it works - keep going, but if it doesn't - dig deeper and figure out what's wrong and how to fix it. </p><p>Share market validations with your team. That's the proof they need to clear their concerns and gain confidence. Feedback, interviews, experiments… transparency will their hearts and get their buy-in. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Don't fall in love with your ideas</h3><p>As Marty Cagan often says: </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">“Fall in love with the problem, not with the solution.”</blockquote><p></p><p>Reality shows that features are replaceable. Keep an eye on the problem you're trying to solve and be prepared to make changes as you move forward. </p><p>Bias blind spots are part of the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/11/7-sins-inviting-bad-features-into-your.html" target="_blank">7 sins that cause products to fail</a>, so be careful. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. Bring your vision down to earth</h3><p>When goals feel out of reach, skepticism takes over and weakens motivation. </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Break down your vision into smaller, realistic milestones.</blockquote><p></p><p>I often use a technique called <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/use-stepwise-refinement-for-strategic-planning.html" target="_blank">stepwise refinement</a> which I learned from my first CEO. </p><p>This top/down framework helps you break big goals into smaller outcomes, and then break those outcomes into concrete tasks. This exercise will prove that your vision is achievable (or not) and the smaller, more achievable outcomes will be easier for your team to digest. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Write down your thoughts</h3><p>I've seen brilliant leaders failing to explain themselves, again and again, causing confusion and frustration for both themselves and their teams. </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">You can only be as great as your ability to explain your vision. </blockquote><p></p><p>If your team doesn't get it, it's on you to explain it better.</p><p>Write down your thoughts, long-term vision, working assumptions, interim milestones, risks, and opportunities. </p><p>The writing exercise will force you to think things through and address potential concerns upfront. You'll get your thoughts straight and communicate them much better. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">5. Trust your team</h3><div>You hired them for a reason. Work with a team to balance your vision with practical considerations and real-world data. Share your experience with them, what have you learned from talking to the market, and what evidence have you found that can make them more educated and aligned with your vision? Invite them to take part in the research and make them more engaged. </div><div>If they push back - don’t underestimate it. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">6. Bring a strong "number 2" </h3><div>Jordan had Pippen, Messi had Di María.</div><div>Even they couldn't do it alone. </div><div>I've written about the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/11/managers-heres-why-you-should-have.html" target="_blank">many benefits of having a strong deputy</a>. One of those benefits is shaping the team culture. If you feel your team is not fully aligned with your vision, you need to change the dynamics fast. </div><div>A strong "number 2" that is close to you and fully aligned with your vision can change the team dynamics dramatically in your favor. A strong number 2 can also back you up, take some of the operational load and help you communicate your vision with the team. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">7. Don't isolate yourself</h3><p>Visionary leaders often feel lonely because no one can see what they can. </p><p>Isolating yourself from others will only make things worse, so make sure to remain friendly and communicative with your team, even if you feel they don't fully understand your vision. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">8. Consult with people you trust </h3><p>It's easy to think the team isn't aligned because they're biased or because they're scared. Consult with someone neutral that you trust. It's a great way to find out what's wrong, and get an unbiased opinion. </p><div><h3><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />9. Focus</h3><p>The more you spread, the less they will absorb.</p><p>We all know focus is key, but this is easier said than done, especially if you're the visionary type.</p><p>Just remember that every new idea is also another distraction from accomplishing your main vision so try to restrain your appetite, as much as possible. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">10. Repeat</h3><p>You think about it a thousand times a day. They don’t. </p><p>Leverage the power of repetition even if it feels redundant to you. </p><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">11. Be prepared to compromise</h3><div><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/12/product-decisions-tradeoffs-game.html" target="_blank">Tradeoffs and compromises will always be there</a> so learn to deal with them. </div><div>Don’t mistake persistence for stubbornness, and embrace a pragmatic approach to clear obstacles out of your way to the top. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p>That's it for this one, before you drop off - let's be friends on <a href="https://twitter.com/GilBouhnick" target="_blank">Twitter</a>! </p><p>Or you can subscribe to my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> and become 27% more awesome than average!</p></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-39753558329275033092023-01-27T06:23:00.006-08:002023-02-08T14:40:26.006-08:00New job? New rules! 4 don'ts when entering a new workplace<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZaFR424WQfhDvhgrv7Gf5h-AwhyZx_JLWFq-c2MjSEVRThDxelcscq46nnuyKpwZohxHdE0yYoCYdvoD-UEsuZV-Jjy-4_hAXcbF1wUw01MA-O20-Hn6d8vMQ5jn4XqFuJCToEnbJPaoYN71VP8A_8kP-bGYOBeaURwTNUD8Hmrloo2SH025W6cM/s744/dont%20do%20when%20joining%20a%20new%20job.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="New job new rules: 4 don'ts when entering a new workplace - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="744" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZaFR424WQfhDvhgrv7Gf5h-AwhyZx_JLWFq-c2MjSEVRThDxelcscq46nnuyKpwZohxHdE0yYoCYdvoD-UEsuZV-Jjy-4_hAXcbF1wUw01MA-O20-Hn6d8vMQ5jn4XqFuJCToEnbJPaoYN71VP8A_8kP-bGYOBeaURwTNUD8Hmrloo2SH025W6cM/s16000/dont%20do%20when%20joining%20a%20new%20job.jpg" title="New job new rules: 4 don'ts when entering a new workplace - the mobile spoon" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some things should not happen in a new workplace... </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Entering a new workplace is a professional challenge, but it's also a tough social exercise. </p><p>Here are a few things you should NOT do in the first few weeks on the job: </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Don't share your thoughts with anyone</h2><p>Keep a low profile. </p><p>Even if you see problems right away and want to jump in and fix them, try to keep your thoughts to yourself. Your coworkers may have been dealing with these issues for a while now, and don't need the opinion of an outsider who has yet to be there to understand the whole context. </p><p>Talking too soon will make you sound arrogant and make a bad first impression. So shut up. </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;"><b>Life tip:</b> before you speak up, make sure you know the topic, know the audience and have something meaningful to say. </blockquote><p></p><p>That's right, and as a new member, you probably don't know enough about the topic, don't know who you're talking to, and might say something stupid...</p><p>So instead of speaking up, write down your thoughts because it's going to be hard to replicate them later. Write the good things you see, the bad things, and the missing things - those insights will become valuable in later stages. </p><p><br /></p><p>Check out these posts: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/10/treat-your-cv-like-product-to-increase.html" target="_blank">Treat your CV like a product to increase your job search conversion rate</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/09/5-mistakes-product-managers-make.html" target="_blank">5 basic mistakes product managers still make</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Do not make friends too soon</h2><p>Keep a distance! </p><p>Most people will tell you to make friends as quickly as possible because it will make you feel better, but this is your career we're talking about and not a social game. </p><p>Be cautious. The first people to invite you to socialize or grab coffee might not be the right people to become friends with. </p><p>Remember that first impression counts, and you don't want to be seen with the losers or poor performers, so take the time to observe the organizational dynamics, and avoid actions that could jeopardize your professional position</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Do not volunteer to do tasks that are below your pay grade</h2><p>OK, this turned out a bit too harsh... let me explain: </p><p>You're the new person in that meeting where everyone is too busy being productive, while you are still doing your lame onboarding sessions and dying to contribute and feel productive. </p><p>So you're tempted to volunteer for some little tasks no one has time to do, such as proofreading or polishing presentations. </p><p>But before you know it, you'll be knee-deep in documents, presentations, and whatnot, and guess what? you're the proofreader now, and that's <b>not</b> what you're getting paid for. </p><p>So as bad as it sounds - <b>be careful what you volunteer for.</b> </p><p>Trust me, you (and your new workplace) will thank me later.</p><p><br /></p><p>More posts you might like: <br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/how-to-start-your-competitor-research.html" target="_blank">How to start your competitor research - the product management guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">The host syndrome: what is it and how to avoid it in your product</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">The difference between soft-activated and hard-activated users</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h2>4. Stay away from negative vibes </h2><p>Sure it's juicy to hear gossip, but you're here to work and make a positive impact. </p><p>Your first few weeks in a new place will be a time to do observations and adjust accordingly, but it's also important to keep positive energy around you. Gossip and complaining sessions will not help your transition, so just stay away from them.</p><p><br /></p><p>And there you have it. Straightforward advice without sugarcoating. </p><p>Remember, first impression counts, so stay away from unneeded risks and avoid making those basic mistakes so many people make. Put the time into learning so you can be productive and make a real difference.</p><p>Good luck!</p><p>And speaking of luck, did you know that reading my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> is known to bring you good luck? Subscribe <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-17881030247506103432023-01-24T15:42:00.009-08:002023-04-14T06:19:50.525-07:00How to summarize any webpage using Siri and ChatGPT<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrGZO1_cgrd03wI_6CszIgpFAU1DRCW6q3Gkscn65g41LzF22gMVif5Oab1yDUIizoZ-FbHZ1wdgOLRn6TZLftosW8TDhi-vsOyrRZaESBoUjOVLWHFLQvlxVZ_7pRGEkBvcVCJqPfiugOjEuwSlLIMuyMXwEml1s18xOh1p_pV9-oRKWRfq-1L17/s1536/Web%20Summarizer%20.jpg"><img alt="Smart Summarizer tool using ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrGZO1_cgrd03wI_6CszIgpFAU1DRCW6q3Gkscn65g41LzF22gMVif5Oab1yDUIizoZ-FbHZ1wdgOLRn6TZLftosW8TDhi-vsOyrRZaESBoUjOVLWHFLQvlxVZ_7pRGEkBvcVCJqPfiugOjEuwSlLIMuyMXwEml1s18xOh1p_pV9-oRKWRfq-1L17/s16000/Web%20Summarizer%20.jpg" title="Smart Summarizer tool using ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">[<b>UPDATE</b>: as of <b>April 2023</b>, using the ChatGPT API requires a paid subscription. See instructions below]</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">TL; DR:</h3><p>OK listen up! This little shortcut is a game-changer!</p><p>It takes anything you have: a link, clipboard text, or sharing of a website and uses ChatGPT to provide different types of summaries according to your need! </p><p>So if you're looking for a way to summarize long web pages (or long text blocks) into short summaries or bullet lists - there's finally a shortcut for that.</p><p>The shortcut is really flexible and can help you in various scenarios so keep reading for more information about how to use it. </p><p><a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/5421c906380545f6a9e2e3333e763ec6" target="_blank">Install Smart Summarizer</a></p><p><br /></p><p>(Don't forget to place your API key in the right place 👇)</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The long version + how to configure</h3><p>The shortcut scans the content of any given website and summarizes it using an opening, a list of bullets, and a closing section. </p><p>This shortcut can be used from any web page (from your iPhone or Mac) through the Share menu (you'll have to add it to your sharing options) or by copying the webpage URL to the clipboard and running the shortcut manually (using voice through Siri or with the Shortcuts app). </p><p>Once activated, the shortcut uses ChatGPT to learn the content and summarize it for you using ChatGPT. </p><p>Once the summary is created - it will appear on the screen and you'll be prompted with a few options (save the summary to the clipboard, save the summary as a note, or exit). </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to setup </h3><p>First, copy your ChatGPT API key from <a href="https://beta.openai.com/account/api-keys" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>Then <a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/5421c906380545f6a9e2e3333e763ec6" target="_blank">download the Smart Summarizer shortcut</a> and add it to your shortcuts app. </p><p>Last, enter your API key in the designated placeholder: look for this string: "<YOUR API KEY>" and replace it with your key (don't keep the brackets). </p><p>The shortcut should look like this: </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1e-Fm7encK--fwmoMSJoMKw74K2Hl98IUDrpodQ0HdchQrvCYcsT9AyXATkMEl6_NK-qVtXTgA8o5geOn5eL5sxFWAuCqTpFCx4FKaQnglG51Us2jEa9X_vxeEsdPB6srST_QTA_8yQBPPXnvthlLZFKC413Jntz95R4G2geBKA8cjhE7eG1tTxV/s1191/smart%20summarizer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Smart Summarizer - use ChatGPT to summarize any website content - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1191" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1e-Fm7encK--fwmoMSJoMKw74K2Hl98IUDrpodQ0HdchQrvCYcsT9AyXATkMEl6_NK-qVtXTgA8o5geOn5eL5sxFWAuCqTpFCx4FKaQnglG51Us2jEa9X_vxeEsdPB6srST_QTA_8yQBPPXnvthlLZFKC413Jntz95R4G2geBKA8cjhE7eG1tTxV/w640-h416/smart%20summarizer.jpg" title="Smart Summarizer - use ChatGPT to summarize any website content - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portion of the shortcut (don't worry, that's not my real API key)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to use the Smart Summarizer</h3><div>Smart Summarizer is more than a simple shortcut - it's a productivity tool that includes a few useful options to support different use cases and needs: </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmJTLq9h-H7jy08TdK2aoLHQfzTGgdAJajJU44IdLeYs-F1__uUTBT7tSs11-iVKkmnaTYvOpFPSfeC9R44RFVEmW6vhRcI69DQyKfmdMiT3GFBQ6BURgQo3cmhGT2DOjSTo4S6tmqZZBxLtZzXpoldguKU8hqk1peKiB8xbkQ5-QaRMXU4Oyolx5/s553/smart%20summarizer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Smart Summarizer - select a summary type - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="473" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmJTLq9h-H7jy08TdK2aoLHQfzTGgdAJajJU44IdLeYs-F1__uUTBT7tSs11-iVKkmnaTYvOpFPSfeC9R44RFVEmW6vhRcI69DQyKfmdMiT3GFBQ6BURgQo3cmhGT2DOjSTo4S6tmqZZBxLtZzXpoldguKU8hqk1peKiB8xbkQ5-QaRMXU4Oyolx5/w343-h400/smart%20summarizer.jpg" title="Smart Summarizer - select a summary type - the mobile spoon" width="343" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smart Summarizer - select a summary type</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The tool can be invoked from different places: </li><ol><li>Through the share button (you'll have to find it in the options and add it to your favorites) </li><li>By copying a webpage's URL and then launching the shortcut </li><li>By copying a chunk of text and then launching the shortcut</li></ol><li>After scanning the text/website - the tool will ask you to select a summary type</li><li>Select a summary type: </li><ol><li>Tweet - will give you 10 different tweets summarizing the text/website you selected</li><li>Short Summary - will generate a short summary with a few bullets </li><li>10 questions - will generate up to 10 questions and answers based on the article </li><li>Key stats - this one is for scanning a long report and getting the key insights</li><li>Blog post - turn any article into a full complete post </li><li>Explain a word - this is mostly for none native English speakers who may run into an unfamiliar term. </li></ol><li>After selecting the summary type - the tool will call ChatGPT to write the summary </li><li>A summary popup will appear </li><li>You can then select one of the following options: </li><ol><li>Save the summary to the clipboard (and paste it somewhere else) </li><li>Save the summary in a new note</li></ol></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Accessing the ChatGPT API via Paid Subscription</h3><p>As of April 2023, you need to pay to use the API. Without it, you'll probably get an error saying you exceeded your quota. </p><p>To subscribe, head over to <a href="https://platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview" target="_blank">this page</a> and enter your payment details. This will unlock </p><p><br /></p><p>That's it. </p><p>Who needs reading when you can inject the key takeaways straight into your brain, right? </p><p><br /></p><p>Before you drop off, check out my recent posts on all the AI craze that's going on: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/5-power-tools-to-get-most-out-of-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Five power tools to get the most out of ChatGPT</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">Create mesmerizing images with Midjourney</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-activate-chatgpt-with-siri-and-save-response.html" target="_blank">Activate ChatGPT with Siri and save the response</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/innovators-dilemma-2023-google-vs-bots.html" target="_blank">Understanding the Innovator's Dilemma in 2023: Google vs. the Bots</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Join my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> and become 27% more awesome than average!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-28014418734497814962023-01-18T13:12:00.009-08:002023-03-19T05:56:43.673-07:00Midjourney - the guide (for people that don't want to be left behind)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69fn5LEyViqcQ-mT2AKrF24703PZ-f7fx9s97fIc2myDQiqBRUMZcHagAAUdfL3PXGccz7_7OK45LrE7AZay3vPxaiGq18d--0spuXA94Q6Ij3BJvJRIa53wa2Rw00lSL2En-5qfsfDDvA9AHbVRlF2pJ4L7AugQqGNR_ZbR9dd69i60nLW75r3Ro/s1315/midjourney%20images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69fn5LEyViqcQ-mT2AKrF24703PZ-f7fx9s97fIc2myDQiqBRUMZcHagAAUdfL3PXGccz7_7OK45LrE7AZay3vPxaiGq18d--0spuXA94Q6Ij3BJvJRIa53wa2Rw00lSL2En-5qfsfDDvA9AHbVRlF2pJ4L7AugQqGNR_ZbR9dd69i60nLW75r3Ro/s16000/midjourney%20images.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Midjourney is an amazing tool for creating spectacular, high-res images, but the fact it can only be used from Discord makes it harder for some users to get the most out of it. <p></p><p>Here's a list of useful tips and resources to help you get the most out of Midjourney: </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. The basics </h2><p>Skip this section if you passed this stage. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to get started with Midjourney?</h3><p>TL;DR: Install Discord (or access it from the web), and join the <a href="https://discord.gg/midjourney" target="_blank">Midjourney server.</a> From within Discord, you can activate the <a href="https://midjourney.com" target="_blank">Midjourney</a> Bot using simple commands. Here's <a href="https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/" target="_blank">get started guide</a>.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Is there a native app for Midjourney? </h3><p>At the time of writing, there isn't. You can, however, access the web app and see your recently created images, and visit the community feed. Here's a link to the <a href="https://www.midjourney.com/app/" target="_blank">Midjourney web app</a>.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to use the Midjourney bot? </h3><p>The most basic command to get you started is "/imagine" (and then your prompt). For some more advanced prompts - scroll down this post. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How do I switch to a Midjourney paid account? </h3><p>Use the "/subscribe" command to initiate the subscription process. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwHJTMSAAEdUWiJDw0nLObidiap5jpRav34kt5UT77RoHXa5outyRjAOL65_0VvLKNsxVHcIfsil3rz2Xue9lSNGt38Yr4uHUGKN5HqvmcOkeR8AlVW0vXRwLEJrYcZMtVM89ZDRbFlPCfVD1dtggMZ1cwcVy8FB45thl_FqAN9GWKVIEtfbLdpeb/s1536/terminator%20playing%20guittar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Terminator playing the guittar - midjourney - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwHJTMSAAEdUWiJDw0nLObidiap5jpRav34kt5UT77RoHXa5outyRjAOL65_0VvLKNsxVHcIfsil3rz2Xue9lSNGt38Yr4uHUGKN5HqvmcOkeR8AlVW0vXRwLEJrYcZMtVM89ZDRbFlPCfVD1dtggMZ1cwcVy8FB45thl_FqAN9GWKVIEtfbLdpeb/w640-h427/terminator%20playing%20guittar.jpg" title="Terminator playing the guittar - midjourney - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terminator playing the guitar</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Mastering the '/imagine' prompt</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">The prompt structure</h3><p>The /imagine prompt has <a href="https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/imagine-parameters" target="_blank">the following structure</a>: </p><p><Optional: existing image URL> <Text prompt: what to draw> <Optional: parameters></p><p>Here's the official <a href="https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/imagine-parameters" target="_blank">documentation</a> and some <a href="https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/resource-links/guide-to-prompting" target="_blank">Tips for text prompts by Midjourney</a>.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Places to get inspired by great prompts</h3><p>Here are some incredible places to get inspired and learn (or just steal) some powerful prompts: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Midjourney's <a href="https://www.midjourney.com/app/feed/all/" target="_blank">community feed in the web app</a></li><li>Lexica - a <a href="https://lexica.art/" target="_blank">search tool for Stable Diffusion</a> images</li><li>PromptHero - the <a href="https://prompthero.com/midjourney-prompts" target="_blank">best Midjourney prompts</a></li></ol><p></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkUzLF0-YjUtFP-Hka4cP9f2Cnv8Ms5fxyAg5QMD81I20gDQ2JduW-fiXqO3BlOtfrLSf8YYcBcGhF19p1CGz3GiP7d5I4YWOeLFDfJsKsxhxkeht85f3ur1Cdbs1qeObHinUKo_ldgffPfGOt4aw0Ll8v1ycPnKryeSBx-Y9lb_SHRXS7qVp83Zq/s1505/midjourney%20images2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="1505" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkUzLF0-YjUtFP-Hka4cP9f2Cnv8Ms5fxyAg5QMD81I20gDQ2JduW-fiXqO3BlOtfrLSf8YYcBcGhF19p1CGz3GiP7d5I4YWOeLFDfJsKsxhxkeht85f3ur1Cdbs1qeObHinUKo_ldgffPfGOt4aw0Ll8v1ycPnKryeSBx-Y9lb_SHRXS7qVp83Zq/w640-h234/midjourney%20images2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PromptHero - get inspired and learn new techniques</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Is there a structured way to create advanced Midjourney prompts? </h3><p>Yes. There's a <a href="https://prompt.noonshot.com/midjourney" target="_blank">nice tool</a> for creating Midjourney prompts visually with dedicated buttons and built-in options so you don't have to remember all the parameters. </p><p>Check out <a href="https://prompt.noonshot.com/midjourney" target="_blank">MJ Prompt Tool</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjovOw15JHTA36mGyXGSuVv5JOcphDNIBRf0qwKgaFfM1LBCKg1GwuU4q4S-FSZiyDyOTLkygP18xvpsOdjjPNxTG3g72gZIxNnGrfcMXIE8Sv0ptPDBzGUkRa1KtMc-YHgUzoxrwq5QGRDYzxqUDGyZQcGouGjBtor-B-w7288Qpnf-QNEFzUXIC/s1227/prompt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="MJ Prompt Tool - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1227" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjovOw15JHTA36mGyXGSuVv5JOcphDNIBRf0qwKgaFfM1LBCKg1GwuU4q4S-FSZiyDyOTLkygP18xvpsOdjjPNxTG3g72gZIxNnGrfcMXIE8Sv0ptPDBzGUkRa1KtMc-YHgUzoxrwq5QGRDYzxqUDGyZQcGouGjBtor-B-w7288Qpnf-QNEFzUXIC/w640-h392/prompt.jpg" title="MJ Prompt Tool - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MJ Prompt Tool - helpful for getting familiar with the hidden options</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Is there a Cheat Sheet for Midjourney parameters? </h3><p>Yes, there are a few of them. Try <a href="https://tokenizedhq.com/midjourney-commands-list/" target="_blank">this one</a> or <a href="https://synapticloop.medium.com/midjourney-cheat-sheet-for-the-best-results-70e3cfbe186d" target="_blank">that one</a>. </p><p>Here are my favorite parameters (all should be placed at the end of the prompt): </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Use "--ar" to define aspect ratio & size (example: "-- ar 3:2")</li><li>Use "::" to emphasize certain words (example: "man::1 holding a dog::3" where the dog is 3x more important)<br /></li><li>Use "--hd" for high definition</li><li>Use "-no " to describe what you wish to remove from an existing image (i.e. "-no computer")</li><li>User "-seed " set a seed number to your image so you can use an existing character later in other images</li><li>More parameters in <a href="https://www.followchain.org/midjourney-commands/" target="_blank">here</a></li></ul><div><br /></div><div>[Update: 03/19/2023] Midjourney 5 is out! Paid customers can use it pretty easily: </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to use Midjourney 5? </h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Add <b>"--v 5"</b> to the end of your prompt. </li><li>Or - go to settings (/settings) and select <b>MJ version 5</b> in the options. </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt_ISQ5YeoWrpBPoJN1nn6RR-oR5eiE0xzPJNVDXS0O1Qt6u4Ks14EnfO_A_G7Ug78FEeQyFDZATnzfNKKYOwX9FS_3bHRBmGa-GtHLFZe1Ch5r95jpWg9iDPXMvAQ0jYDULZyJUu0_FFSmlzChlz-FnTxCvNBq_7irx0zI6icUloc03Cinz8OeYf/s993/bumblebees.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bumblebee in different styles - midjourney - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="993" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt_ISQ5YeoWrpBPoJN1nn6RR-oR5eiE0xzPJNVDXS0O1Qt6u4Ks14EnfO_A_G7Ug78FEeQyFDZATnzfNKKYOwX9FS_3bHRBmGa-GtHLFZe1Ch5r95jpWg9iDPXMvAQ0jYDULZyJUu0_FFSmlzChlz-FnTxCvNBq_7irx0zI6icUloc03Cinz8OeYf/w640-h456/bumblebees.jpg" title="Bumblebee in different styles - midjourney - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How do you like my bumblebees? </td></tr></tbody></table></div><p><br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"></ul><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/03/these-tools-will-boost-your-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">ChatGPT too slow, limited, or inadequate for your needs? Try these tools instead</a><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"></ul><br /><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Common problems using Discord</h2><div>Having trouble finding your way around Discord? Here are a few handy tips: </div><div><br /></div><div><h3>How do I access my Midjourney settings? </h3><p>There are plenty of guides that mention changing the settings. </p><p>There's no settings button, but instead, type the '/settings' command on Discord. </p><p><br /></p></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to find my Midjourney images on discord? </h3><div><div>One of the common problems when using discord is that it's easy to lose your images in the endless stream of messages. Here are 3 ways to solve this common problem: </div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Use the <a href="https://www.midjourney.com/app/" target="_blank">Midjourney web app</a> to see all of your images </li><li>See all your mentions on discord - go to 'inbox' and select the 'mentions' tab (see the first image below).</li><li>Start a private chat with the bot so you don't get lost in the endless messages stream - click the 'direct messages' button and go to 'Midjourney Bot' (see second image below)</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdw_kHtVUA_C3XpBiIvxu8Gqfh6v1QEO5lejKB5g-48fQVIkhqA8S93Rw2cdld4OshiBhxmGpW8MZN-t-69v55MpVikEG55ZPZGoqpKV66FOY6mpgnhAhkwKOkNsm1tSph2lCCFIC6x5Es7rSOJbdnQW_xlqFVIP-0B4z30PvLejpnCCnD4fEYwuL/s634/see%20your%20responses%20on%20discord.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="See all your Midjourney images on Discord - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="634" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdw_kHtVUA_C3XpBiIvxu8Gqfh6v1QEO5lejKB5g-48fQVIkhqA8S93Rw2cdld4OshiBhxmGpW8MZN-t-69v55MpVikEG55ZPZGoqpKV66FOY6mpgnhAhkwKOkNsm1tSph2lCCFIC6x5Es7rSOJbdnQW_xlqFVIP-0B4z30PvLejpnCCnD4fEYwuL/w400-h201/see%20your%20responses%20on%20discord.jpg" title="See all your Midjourney images on Discord - the mobile spoon" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See all your Midjourney images on Discord<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div> </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHWvdJNPM1KQe4ECrZI3jHYlJgMP-57tuLiwnxbidJn_4zqQojTeIDUVEawjiDOilqeLEwHab9SluWFw5Fhlp1QQb4fTH8-77cxxyih_6Vy4dwgs_E1af8UDP7SrOrHuGlzY4rCnkjO1fB6iVWWzKXMLsJ5mBC2CZJ0ESbV9Bsahe5sJ9mPV_Y2RS/s481/private%20bot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Start a private chat with the Midjourney Bot - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="481" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHWvdJNPM1KQe4ECrZI3jHYlJgMP-57tuLiwnxbidJn_4zqQojTeIDUVEawjiDOilqeLEwHab9SluWFw5Fhlp1QQb4fTH8-77cxxyih_6Vy4dwgs_E1af8UDP7SrOrHuGlzY4rCnkjO1fB6iVWWzKXMLsJ5mBC2CZJ0ESbV9Bsahe5sJ9mPV_Y2RS/w400-h371/private%20bot.jpg" title="Start a private chat with the Midjourney Bot - the mobile spoon" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start a private chat with the Midjourney Bot</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Common questions and pro tips: </h2><div>How to use your own photos? How to blend a few photos together? How to use the same characters across multiple images and more: 👇 </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How do I use my own image as a source for Midjourney? </h3><p>Want to use your own images and modify them using Midjourney? It's often called img2img: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Upload a photo to discord </li><li>Once it's available, open it in the browser and copy the image URL</li><li>Paste the image URL at the beginning of the '/imagine' prompt and add your description. </li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How do I merge a few existing images into one? </h3><p>Similar to uploading 1 image as a source, but with a few URLs. </p><p>Also, there's a new '/blend' command that lets you upload 2 images or more and combines them together. </p><p>See this <a href="https://youtu.be/PC3XtBNQAXY" target="_blank">explanation video</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7TwOCsqlRrVOmThdjpM0WnaiPL2OkeDWjAvYMHY5_PmFbdi28QNxN4hmPTW-aFoBPAUb2Xsia1RGKMoQGpj6an49-cXY7spFUwu7M4yF5tBz9gKOLxwP2CNTpn78hgDmH6ca_tYvWYW3Md2YA3dUhockh9bAcmHfAnHLg8q-fjAldQ2mtdmKy2QX/s1024/terminator%20thanos.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Blending Thanos with the Terminator in Midjourney - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1024" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7TwOCsqlRrVOmThdjpM0WnaiPL2OkeDWjAvYMHY5_PmFbdi28QNxN4hmPTW-aFoBPAUb2Xsia1RGKMoQGpj6an49-cXY7spFUwu7M4yF5tBz9gKOLxwP2CNTpn78hgDmH6ca_tYvWYW3Md2YA3dUhockh9bAcmHfAnHLg8q-fjAldQ2mtdmKy2QX/w640-h408/terminator%20thanos.jpg" title="Blending Thanos with the Terminator in Midjourney - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terminator Thanos (/blend)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3>How do I use a consistent character across multiple images? </h3><p>There's a nice trick to upload an image and give it a name using a backslash. </p><p>Once you have a name for your character, you can ask to include it in different images by including the name + the rest of the scene described in the prompt</p><p>See this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL8zYR7EnIk&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">explanation video.</a> </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to ask Midjourney to slightly modify an existing image</h3><p>Sometimes you want to maintain an image that was just created, with a slight modification. </p><p>To enable that option - go to /settings and turn on the 'mix mode' option. </p><p>From now on, every time you will select a certain version, Discord will open a popup and let you modify that version's prompt before submitting. This is an extremely useful option. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How do I ask Midjourney to draw a full body? </h3><p>Try to include the following words in your prompt: "wide shot, full body, far away"</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How do I create an image that mimics a certain artist's style? </h3><p>Here are 2 crazy lists of artists and what they look like in Midjourney. Use it wisely... </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cm6239gw1XvvDMRtazV6txa9pnejpKkM5z24wRhhFz0" target="_blank">The Great Big List of Midjourney Artist Styles</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e9QfrsYslKPC3CRRpBaMaGffsu46GggZOOO9lA-vrcg" target="_blank">The OpenAI/MidJourney Style Extravaganza</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Want to read more? </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/06/5-apps-i-use-every-day.html" target="_blank">5 Apps I use every day (and cannot live without)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">The host syndrome: what is it and how to avoid it in your product</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">84 cognitive biases you should use to design better products</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>- - - - </p><p>That's it for this one. </p><p>Hope you found this resource useful, and if did - make sure to <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/gilbouhnick" target="_blank">follow me on Twitter</a> for some more tips or subscribe to my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> (I'm too busy to spam). </p><br /></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-80070563942768411192023-01-14T23:26:00.021-08:002023-02-15T01:24:25.633-08:00Tired of ChatGPT? Give Quora's Poe a try<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgkK_2sPMIUv_-kP4gQh3kjoE-Q_NaQ5zCWqjtyfwmFqkWRqyxOFuPhzy5UK6skmBXEUbM1YFb-wDDKHdP2pmye5ORqzZviSrjyWU8w6ODr4M5HaCg5Tc4GRzbBP7jUKASFf1BLj-H2rObvKst_lvfixsuybKDcjL0dZIPHA3i7baKfjMaf-N1KNo/s612/Poe%20instead%20of%20ChatGPT.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ChatGPT is Down? Check out POE by Quora - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgkK_2sPMIUv_-kP4gQh3kjoE-Q_NaQ5zCWqjtyfwmFqkWRqyxOFuPhzy5UK6skmBXEUbM1YFb-wDDKHdP2pmye5ORqzZviSrjyWU8w6ODr4M5HaCg5Tc4GRzbBP7jUKASFf1BLj-H2rObvKst_lvfixsuybKDcjL0dZIPHA3i7baKfjMaf-N1KNo/s16000/Poe%20instead%20of%20ChatGPT.jpg" title="ChatGPT is Down? Check out POE by Quora - The Mobile Spoon" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ChatGPT down? Use Poe. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>It's getting harder to use ChatGPT's original web app due to crazy demand. </p><p>In my post, on <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/5-power-tools-to-get-most-out-of-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">how to get the most out of ChatGPT</a>, I mentioned a few power tools to use ChatGPT on mobile such as <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred-the-chatgpt-assistant/id6444862862" target="_blank">Fred</a> (previously called Alfred), <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-activate-chatgpt-with-siri-and-save-response.html" target="_blank">Siri's voice command</a> (use Siri to talk to ChatGPT), and many more. </p><p>Today I would like to present to you an exciting alternative to ChatGPT, developed by <b>Quora</b>, that is not only available on mobile but also entirely unrelated to ChatGPT, which means it's always happily available when ChatGPT is "at capacity".</p><p>It's called <b><a href="https://poe.com/" target="_blank">Poe</a></b> (Platform for Open Exploration) and based on my tests so far it provides more <b>comprehensive</b> answers than ChatGPT, including <b>explorable links</b>, topics to <b>expand</b> on, built-in f<b>ollow-up questions</b>, and different flavors of AI answers. </p><p>Oh, and it's free. </p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsJg-4S7e6ZmVprcPfiYEZAJA1-ypXuyNrCeY48j_LnBcigK72G7pvY3Bd85ZTC7b9CMlB2elzFgzT89n6EAgEoKCmK-p7RlIRBgkUqVRrpkeQ-glwRtLwmEcA7SEx044tK2AkgF_BAwpUq9NzP1_QRc4lq9aXKJFBJi5uA76na-OqKqsVJn42ksV/s1190/Poe%20in%20action.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshots from using Poe - Quora's alternative to ChatGPT - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1190" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsJg-4S7e6ZmVprcPfiYEZAJA1-ypXuyNrCeY48j_LnBcigK72G7pvY3Bd85ZTC7b9CMlB2elzFgzT89n6EAgEoKCmK-p7RlIRBgkUqVRrpkeQ-glwRtLwmEcA7SEx044tK2AkgF_BAwpUq9NzP1_QRc4lq9aXKJFBJi5uA76na-OqKqsVJn42ksV/w640-h436/Poe%20in%20action.jpg" title="Screenshots from using Poe - Quora's alternative to ChatGPT - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poe in action</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Now think about what will happen when Quora starts embedding those answers with its' proprietary data, generated by 400M monthly unique users, with the existing knowledge... this can become massive. </p><p><a href="https://poe.com/" target="_blank">Poe</a> is currently only available on iOS (<a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/mobile-apps-2022-should-you-still-start-with-ios.html" target="_blank">companies still start with iOS</a>). Android is coming soon.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">More AI Productivity Posts: </h3><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">How to summarize any webpage using Siri and ChatGPT</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/5-power-tools-to-get-most-out-of-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Five power tools to get the most out of ChatGPT</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">A guide for creating mesmerizing images with Midjourney</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-activate-chatgpt-with-siri-and-save-response.html" target="_blank">Activate ChatGPT with Siri and save the response</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/innovators-dilemma-2023-google-vs-bots.html" target="_blank">Understanding the Innovator's Dilemma in 2023: Google vs. the Bots</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one. </p><p>Before you drop off - subscribe to my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">occasional newsletter</a> and become 27% more awesome than average!</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-71464929826892267132023-01-10T00:31:00.010-08:002023-04-14T06:21:13.010-07:00How to activate ChatGPT with Siri and save the response<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRr7P5VRJN_NIr3HRA7zxcFRn5sZT-FqxTYZbIdttZRN1ndR8CdqaWUd1GQlKAwBaaSjiKmW996NHBO9MyL8qXqUON58g9M6an75OxbsAUiYW8Ebynl05ejcoKi-N9ZMGwIAquIQcD_bI17J7rcmc1VVEYA7OsodNusDltC2CHxETTXjbLHBdBNFQ/s1024/Siri+ChatGPT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Activate ChatGPT with Siri - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRr7P5VRJN_NIr3HRA7zxcFRn5sZT-FqxTYZbIdttZRN1ndR8CdqaWUd1GQlKAwBaaSjiKmW996NHBO9MyL8qXqUON58g9M6an75OxbsAUiYW8Ebynl05ejcoKi-N9ZMGwIAquIQcD_bI17J7rcmc1VVEYA7OsodNusDltC2CHxETTXjbLHBdBNFQ/s16000/Siri+ChatGPT.jpg" title="Activate ChatGPT with Siri - The Mobile Spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>[<b>UPDATE</b>: as of <b>April 2023</b>, using the ChatGPT API requires a paid subscription. See instructions below]</p><p><br /></p><p>TL; DR:</p><p>Looking for a way to activate ChatGPT with Siri using voice commands? There's a shortcut for that. </p><p>Just ask Siri to run ChatGPT, ask your question using voice, get an answer, and store it as a note. </p><p><a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/c036293cd635462bb361529b7e8165be" target="_blank">Install Smart Siri</a></p><p>(Don't forget to place your API key in the right place 👇)</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Looking for a <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Smart Website Summarizer</a>? It's right <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The long version + how to configure</h3><p>I created this little shortcut (inspired by Fabian Heuwieser's <a href="https://medium.com/@FabianMH/how-to-use-chatgpt-on-your-apple-watch-and-iphone-9b6c7f86d7ba" target="_blank">post</a>) to <b>connect Siri to ChatGPT</b> so I can use it on the move with voice commands. </p><p>The shortcut does the following: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Prompts you to ask a question </li><li>Sends it to <a href="https://chat.openai.com/chat" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a></li><li>Reads the answer </li><li>Allows you to save the answer into a new Apple Note</li></ol><div>Perfect for using ChatGPT while on the move. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to setup </h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>First, copy your ChatGPT API key from <a href="https://beta.openai.com/account/api-keys" target="_blank">here</a>. </li><li>Then <a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/c036293cd635462bb361529b7e8165be" target="_blank">download the shortcut</a> and add it to your shortcuts app. </li><li>Last, enter your API key in the designated placeholder (don't keep the brackets)</li></ol><div><br /></div><div>The shortcut should look like this (with your key in the text placeholder):</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ_m1z5Np_2NcNh7GalqYIN9c-hmTNE8u5QXpFaPOHif16Sbb5No7MCCHnMyj9d4ATT9mcwkPUlgtTUpJgjpnP6QwHsg5EcUf49zBD2xxLhQaG1tB3DYgybiZO5CjOl6wEEzzjpJYyfIW0fAJ0XNCS-GO6U-2k0cKCKVxY838Tql8MTY91RO9_kBO/s1165/Siri%20shortcut%20to%20run%20ChatGPT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to use ChatGPT with Siri - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1165" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ_m1z5Np_2NcNh7GalqYIN9c-hmTNE8u5QXpFaPOHif16Sbb5No7MCCHnMyj9d4ATT9mcwkPUlgtTUpJgjpnP6QwHsg5EcUf49zBD2xxLhQaG1tB3DYgybiZO5CjOl6wEEzzjpJYyfIW0fAJ0XNCS-GO6U-2k0cKCKVxY838Tql8MTY91RO9_kBO/w640-h482/Siri%20shortcut%20to%20run%20ChatGPT.jpg" title="How to use ChatGPT with Siri - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The first part of the script triggers the text dictation. Then it sends the dictated text to the API function and gets back the response. The response is then read by Siri, followed by a question: "Save answer?" </div><div><br /></div><div>If you choose to save, the whole text block will be added to a new note. </div><div><br /></div><div><h3>Accessing the ChatGPT API via Paid Subscription</h3><p>As of April 2023, you need to pay to use the API. Without it, you'll probably get an error saying you exceeded your quota. </p><p>To subscribe, head over to <a href="https://platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview" target="_blank">this page</a> and enter your payment details. This will unlock </p></div><div><br /></div><div>That's it! </div><div><br /></div><div>Now you can talk to ChatGPT with the help of Siri 🙂.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Do more with AI: </h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="tools will boost your ChatGPT productivity in 2023" target="_blank">Tools that will boost your ChatGPT productivity</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/5-power-tools-to-get-most-out-of-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Five power tools to get the most out of ChatGPT</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">Create mesmerizing images with Midjourney</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Summarize anything (from a paragraph to a website) in seconds</a></li></ol><div><br /></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">More productivity boosters: </h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/06/5-apps-i-use-every-day.html" target="_blank">5 Apps I use every day (and cannot live without)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/use-stepwise-refinement-for-strategic-planning.html" target="_blank">How to use the Stepwise Refinement technique for strategic planning</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/01/5-hacks-consume-quality-content.html" target="_blank">5 productivity hacks to boost your self-learning skills</a></li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div>That's it for this one! </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/gilbouhnick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or subscribe to my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">occasional newsletter</a> (I'm too busy to spam) and become 27% more awesome than average.</div><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-11304965122361086572023-01-04T16:11:00.010-08:002023-03-03T02:40:02.039-08:005 power tools to get the most out of ChatGPT<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzp23O4SHPhiT7rfwwiCXgDinXpfV-IbGP1Y8gRKVoYKlB2JqAn0KT70FnSf4cFqodUuvz_WHKCh_k48nI0XLiCKUId7mjlLN00WaFDDrDIAXsRb--v23kerEEJ_4sFEx3AGE_UeiiMQK-spNzNS-MTt2lgCAVLHUCVCM2KeR90Vp_sRIiB6yIBeUl/s718/Gil%20Bouhnick%20ChatGPT%20AI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="5 power tools to help you get the most out of ChatGPT" border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="718" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzp23O4SHPhiT7rfwwiCXgDinXpfV-IbGP1Y8gRKVoYKlB2JqAn0KT70FnSf4cFqodUuvz_WHKCh_k48nI0XLiCKUId7mjlLN00WaFDDrDIAXsRb--v23kerEEJ_4sFEx3AGE_UeiiMQK-spNzNS-MTt2lgCAVLHUCVCM2KeR90Vp_sRIiB6yIBeUl/s16000/Gil%20Bouhnick%20ChatGPT%20AI.jpg" title="5 power tools to help you get the most out of ChatGPT" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>OpenAI's <a href="https://chat.openai.com/chat" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a> has shaken the tech industry, and it feels like 2007 again. </p><p>Back then it was the iPhone that started the mobile revolution, and now it feels like everything we got used to is about to change, once again. </p><p>I'm already using ChatGPT regularly (sorry <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/innovators-dilemma-2023-google-vs-bots.html" target="_blank">Google, but this one is on you</a>) and adopted a few power tools to make the most out of GPT-3. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here are 5 AI tools that I use regularly to supercharge my productivity: </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Use Google and ChatGPT together!</h2><p>This <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chatgpt-for-google/jgjaeacdkonaoafenlfkkkmbaopkbilf" target="_blank">Chrome extension</a> is a must-have: it adds ChatGPT answers to your Google Search results. </p><p>This way I can still search like it's 2021 while getting all that 2023 AI knowledge and saving valuable time. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoMwsWBB9Sonpcuf1Gral-y7JQHrP43Yg32DGBF7pDVJvchyNK3xtUhLnqnyt57TmfRH2XfePtgSML_tKl8TQdDiDVEjte2elLJYayBoKcfAWPIYa9nIdakWGKKS3VsPaOBqeIMCphA08KBuOajmLYBdjuKWBwfSCLyMzKeKIbxPBDYGyYoBaKuqS/s740/ChatGPT%20Chrome%20extenssion.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chrome extension for ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="740" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoMwsWBB9Sonpcuf1Gral-y7JQHrP43Yg32DGBF7pDVJvchyNK3xtUhLnqnyt57TmfRH2XfePtgSML_tKl8TQdDiDVEjte2elLJYayBoKcfAWPIYa9nIdakWGKKS3VsPaOBqeIMCphA08KBuOajmLYBdjuKWBwfSCLyMzKeKIbxPBDYGyYoBaKuqS/w640-h344/ChatGPT%20Chrome%20extenssion.jpg" title="Chrome extension for ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A must-have Chrome extension for ChatGPT</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Native desktop app for ChatGPT</h2><p>ChatGPT has a really horrible name, but it doesn't mean I don't want it as a native app!</p><p>Instead of searching for it in my 70+ open tabs, I need it to be easily accessible through command + tab. </p><p>Luckily for us, there's an app for that: head over to <a href="https://prompts.chat/#act-as-an-english-translator-and-improver" target="_blank">Awesome ChatGPT Prompts</a> and download a native wrapper app that hosts the latest version of OpenAI's chat. </p><p>Download <b>ChatGPT Desktop App</b>: <a href="https://github.com/lencx/ChatGPT/releases/download/v0.7.3/ChatGPT_0.7.3_x64.dmg" target="_blank">macOS</a> / <a href="https://github.com/lencx/ChatGPT/releases/download/v0.7.3/ChatGPT_0.7.3_x64_en-US.msi" target="_blank">Windows</a> / <a href="https://github.com/lencx/ChatGPT/releases/download/v0.7.3/chat-gpt_0.7.3_amd64.deb" target="_blank">Linux</a></p><p>The app has some powerful Notion-style shortcuts that are called "prompts", but more about that later (below). </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdflD5V15At7O_kiEYfmte9v7Kzc6gXKuk-nw9qhw2lwCs2g_EkinpgSSqMk0Ns9Nkk1GZ-zpNEU9w1Fc-ilKlAbMjXEUZWKvj-POHIe0JsHaa1XaRK3szt0Qe3BoA-XEMSw7aF1JIDQltFrkK3rHNDqnD9BOTAkdy-1jO1s9km1SA1-4QE4O-CK0/s740/native%20ChatGPT%20App.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Native ChatGPT App - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="740" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdflD5V15At7O_kiEYfmte9v7Kzc6gXKuk-nw9qhw2lwCs2g_EkinpgSSqMk0Ns9Nkk1GZ-zpNEU9w1Fc-ilKlAbMjXEUZWKvj-POHIe0JsHaa1XaRK3szt0Qe3BoA-XEMSw7aF1JIDQltFrkK3rHNDqnD9BOTAkdy-1jO1s9km1SA1-4QE4O-CK0/w640-h424/native%20ChatGPT%20App.jpg" title="Native ChatGPT App - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/10-guides-for-designing-better-products.html" target="_blank">Collection: 10 guides for designing better products</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Mobile app for ChatGPT</h2><p>Those who know me know that my top criterion for choosing productivity apps is "<b>do they have a killer mobile app?</b>"</p><p>I need my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/06/5-apps-i-use-every-day.html" target="_blank">productivity boosters with me 24/7</a> and a real mobile (not those fake web pages) is a must!</p><p>I explored over 15 different mobile apps running on ChatGPT. Most of them are either really bad or really expensive without providing any special value. </p><p>If you want a decent native mobile app running ChatGPT - here are a few alternatives: </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Option 1: Create a web shortcut 🤮</b></h3><p style="text-align: left;">Lame but kind of working: add a ChatGPT shortcut to your home screen and it feels like you have it available as an app (not). </p><p style="text-align: left;">Go to <a href="https://chat.openai.com/chat">https://chat.openai.com/chat</a>, login, and add it to your home screen. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I hate it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It sucks, but if you want to remain up-to-date with the latest core versions and don't want to pay - give it a try. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h3><b>Option 2: Talk to ChatGPT using Siri voice commands 🧠</b></h3><div>Turn Siri into a smarter Siri by connecting it to ChatGPT via the Shortcuts app. </div><div>Here's a <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-activate-chatgpt-with-siri-and-save-response.html" target="_blank">small guide for connecting ChatGPT to Siri</a> and turning Siri into a smarter assistant. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, check out my new <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">web page summarizing tool</a> to make ChatGPT speed-read articles when you're too lazy...</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Option 3: Select a free/affordable app 😐</b></h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://apps.apple.com/il/app/merlin-ai-chatgpt/id1658585780" target="_blank">Merlin AI</a>: simple, text only, provides detailed answers, and has a relatively OK user interface.<br />It used to be free but recently changed to a subscription (3 days trial). </li><li><a href="https://aiyla.app/" target="_blank">Aiyla</a>: weird app, but still free (not for long I assume). <br />It has a few interesting features (like selecting a tone of voice, drawing images, and customizing the look and feel), but the UI feels a bit awkward.<br /></li></ol><div>There are plenty of others, but most of them are no longer free. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Option 4: WhatsApp chat 🧙🏻♂️</h3><div>This cool hack is called <b><u>God in a Box</u></b> (link has been broken for a few days, here's an <a href="https://twitter.com/danielgross/status/1598735800497119232" target="_blank">alternative</a> but I didn't check it yet...), and it allows you to chat directly with ChatGPT directly on WhatsApp. There's a limited free version and a paid plan if WhatsApp is your guy. I love the concept, although the answers are pretty short and basic.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Option 5: Install Alfred App 👈</b></h3><p>My quest to find the best mobile app for ChatGPT ended up with <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred-the-chatgpt-assistant/id6444862862" target="_blank">Alfred</a>. </p><p><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred-the-chatgpt-assistant/id6444862862" target="_blank">Alfred</a> is a super polished AI app that's described as "AI chat-based built on GPT-3, inspired by ChatGPT" (notice it's not exactly the same thing, which makes it even more interesting). </p><p>The app is packed with the following features: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Brilliant name (give me a good name and I'm halfway there)</li><li>Fantastic UI</li><li>Answers that are often <b>better</b> than the original version of ChatGPT (i.e. when you ask about people or places)</li><li>It draws images</li><li>It has a lock screen widget for fast activation </li><li>You can activate it by voice</li></ol><p></p><p>Boom! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6TJ6ctE4Ps1TbQxr7IfAOAc5QP31GKln99pBlWprnvv5mMctXmnxdS04PII4ZosAxvpH-Rk7QJZG04d18MIZg0kTQcwZuCJK83VIyvIBG3P-ye_v6Q039f2TOWqH_dOcCyCr7cEAc66Twrkk5cE4PLvXaG6-PoNHKp_U5BfSxUzWYJREhTeKTV_c/s740/Alfred.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Alfred AI ChatGPT App - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="740" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6TJ6ctE4Ps1TbQxr7IfAOAc5QP31GKln99pBlWprnvv5mMctXmnxdS04PII4ZosAxvpH-Rk7QJZG04d18MIZg0kTQcwZuCJK83VIyvIBG3P-ye_v6Q039f2TOWqH_dOcCyCr7cEAc66Twrkk5cE4PLvXaG6-PoNHKp_U5BfSxUzWYJREhTeKTV_c/w640-h332/Alfred.jpg" title="Alfred AI ChatGPT App - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfred app</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Alfred has a short trial followed by a subscription plan. To be honest, I found the pricing to be high, given that there is a free web alternative. However, after experiencing the alternatives, I decided to subscribe and make it my go-to app. </p><p><a href="https://www.alfredsearch.com/" target="_blank">Download Alfred mobile app</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Check out <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">the host syndrome: what is it and how to avoid it in your product</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. AI reading/writing assistants </h2><p>I often find myself asking ChatGPT (or Alfred) to refine my non-native English. I can write long sentences freely, but sometimes shortening them is a struggle.</p><p>In addition, a lot of my work involves research, and time is of the essence, so I use AI to help me read faster and understand more...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Writing on steroids</h3><p>There are a few tools that are really handy for anyone looking to supercharge their writing. </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://jenni.ai/">jenni.ai</a> - a great AI writing assistance that uses GPT-3 together with AI21 and proprietary AI. <br />You set a title, start writing and the tool Jenni magically improves your sentences and provides suggestions as you type. <br />It's a web-based product (and you already know I have too many tabs) so I wrapped it inside a <a href="https://fluidapp.com/" target="_blank">native container</a> and turned it into my go-to writing tool. <br /></li><li><a href="https://www.wordtune.com/" target="_blank">Wordtune</a> - this one is magical. <br />On top of the usual grammar improvements, you can also use different writing tones. In addition - Wordtune lives inside Google docs and Microsoft Word, which makes it invaluable when writing requirements or any other type of documentation. </li></ol><div>Other tools you might want to check are <a href="https://www.jasper.ai/" target="_blank">Jasper</a>, <a href="https://app.grammarly.com/" target="_blank">Grammarly</a> (+ their must-have web extension), and ChatGPT itself (using the prompt "rephrase"). </div><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFjHGC3AWW9QPQxGNFHQhFx8fDmj_LgncbCEerdbdiJ2-rzg35PcXUZ711DFLB8wV4lp_uMUTsaZU59nt9EJA49pn8OQVPIvMikUrSPMKV6G9SXmtddZYGv4uLaRJSlkBBdgrEf56bc_5T7Xj4F5GYPQr30j_ukvWMYFek4odSGMaRC-Xjz2MpYy3/s745/jenni.ai.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jenni.ai writing assistant - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="745" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFjHGC3AWW9QPQxGNFHQhFx8fDmj_LgncbCEerdbdiJ2-rzg35PcXUZ711DFLB8wV4lp_uMUTsaZU59nt9EJA49pn8OQVPIvMikUrSPMKV6G9SXmtddZYGv4uLaRJSlkBBdgrEf56bc_5T7Xj4F5GYPQr30j_ukvWMYFek4odSGMaRC-Xjz2MpYy3/w640-h338/jenni.ai.jpg" title="Jenni.ai writing assistant - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenni's text suggestions are being generated as you type</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Reading on steroids</h3><p>If you don't have time to read and want to quickly summarize articles and blog posts - here are a few useful tools: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My own <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/how-to-summarize-any-webpage-using-siri-chatgpt.html" target="_blank">Smart Summarizer (for iPhone and Mac)</a> will read and summarize any web page for you </li><li><a href="https://www.wordtune.com/read" target="_blank">Wordtune read</a> - upload a document file (including PDFs), paste a text block or even a link, and this magical tool will summarize them all into a list of key points (see screenshot below). </li><li>ChatGPT - using different prompts like "learn" or "learn and summarize" you can get pretty cool summaries (no links yet). </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB4_foP5SXxk0sXEbb9wMW9r0KFiwYbq4MDR26ydfSxNxhYolmbpzaZJMmmZNMXg441uphxn5LezwZTqdDeJRH2hnYCwb89LuJoni6qlIksT3IXSTEo9Zxieq7UnkZqa4cBoXKLjalsC9NPhTlj_rMp-u55Ar62NeVA6ijoYTnH0ctvlaAOSvBG2c/s692/wortune%20read.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="summarize websites with wortune read - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="692" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB4_foP5SXxk0sXEbb9wMW9r0KFiwYbq4MDR26ydfSxNxhYolmbpzaZJMmmZNMXg441uphxn5LezwZTqdDeJRH2hnYCwb89LuJoni6qlIksT3IXSTEo9Zxieq7UnkZqa4cBoXKLjalsC9NPhTlj_rMp-u55Ar62NeVA6ijoYTnH0ctvlaAOSvBG2c/w640-h302/wortune%20read.jpg" title="summarize websites with wortune read - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summarizing my own dog food with <a href="https://www.wordtune.com/read" target="_blank">wordtune read</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Awesome prompts</h2><p>Did you know that you can ask ChatGPT to provide answers as if it was someone (or something) else? </p><p>For example, you can write the following: "I want you to act as a text-based excel. you'll only reply to me with the text-based 10 rows excel sheet with row numbers and cell letters as columns (A to L). The first column header should be empty to reference the row number. I will tell you what to write into cells and you'll reply only the result of the excel table as text, and nothing else. Do not write explanations. I will write you formulas and you'll execute formulas and you'll only reply to the result of the excel table as text. First, reply to me with an empty sheet." and it will respond with an empty table. </p><p>To save time, the <a href="https://prompts.chat/#act-as-an-english-translator-and-improver" target="_blank">ChatGPT Desktop App</a> (the one from section 2 above) provides Notion-style slash commands that make it easy to run long and tedious prompts in a few clicks. </p><p>Start using sophisticated prompts <a href="https://prompts.chat/#act-as-an-english-translator-and-improver" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRTfTokfDxdIDStWY7CaY1tT65uPi4kDkDsCgqKi-VLunm3BQ2Zbt1D7m4lpq4Us0N8-ycOMU9yfmf-tLuFt2NEaA6SP2x2zXEk-tD0NruCPP524QVzDTZWIF-FVA9sHEh3r_s6FULXp8HgvmsR2FC0Gc67kRvViq2pUO7F3RLqHJik3xqq9hz_w4/s803/awsome%20prompts%20UI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ChatGPT Awesome Prompts - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="803" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRTfTokfDxdIDStWY7CaY1tT65uPi4kDkDsCgqKi-VLunm3BQ2Zbt1D7m4lpq4Us0N8-ycOMU9yfmf-tLuFt2NEaA6SP2x2zXEk-tD0NruCPP524QVzDTZWIF-FVA9sHEh3r_s6FULXp8HgvmsR2FC0Gc67kRvViq2pUO7F3RLqHJik3xqq9hz_w4/w640-h350/awsome%20prompts%20UI.jpg" title="ChatGPT Awesome Prompts - The Mobile Spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Visit the second part of this guide for some more powerful tools to <a href="tools will boost your ChatGPT productivity in 2023" target="_blank">become more productive with ChatGPT</a></p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one, crazy times, and I'm sure there's much more to come. </p><p>Meanwhile, make sure to <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/gilbouhnick" target="_blank">follow me on Twitter</a> or subscribe to my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> (I'm too busy to spam) and become 27% more awesome than average.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-53728011457238362582023-01-03T07:30:00.006-08:002023-01-03T07:43:11.210-08:00How to build a kick-ass pitch deck that follows a simple storyline<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PnzzYoAjSk__ETZbyCfdVJTBRiDrLwTCEZJ6efGINLb44Bb1eBqvKP6JELEF8CcNowF47pYItT-vfywYsIs9l2hIa1sBbDw7ThrbaigZV3hvJC-vWUVcjVhK6xEhVZqgAHTQ-JfYNVc5QDoE6IV88Fh8ThiMpfORYeQ8nHlfcLFD9qxaIYyNcEMm/s701/pitch%20deck%20hero.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to build a kick ass pitch deck presentation - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="701" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PnzzYoAjSk__ETZbyCfdVJTBRiDrLwTCEZJ6efGINLb44Bb1eBqvKP6JELEF8CcNowF47pYItT-vfywYsIs9l2hIa1sBbDw7ThrbaigZV3hvJC-vWUVcjVhK6xEhVZqgAHTQ-JfYNVc5QDoE6IV88Fh8ThiMpfORYeQ8nHlfcLFD9qxaIYyNcEMm/s16000/pitch%20deck%20hero.jpg" title="How to build a kick ass pitch deck presentation - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Pitch decks… </p><p>When you’re in a startup, you know there's always a reason to work on your pitch, whether it's a round, an upcoming event, or something else.</p><p>So much time and effort go into structuring something that's been done a million times before, and yet it never gets easier.</p><p>You can get lost in the process, not knowing where to start, what to include, and what to leave out. </p><p>But in the end, all it takes is <b>following a simple storylin</b>e: </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The storyline</h3><ol><li>There's a painful <b>problem</b> and it's getting <b>worse</b></li><li>A <b>big market</b> suffers from this problem, and it's <b>growing</b></li><li>Here we have a potential <b>solution</b>, superior to existing alternatives, and <b>doable</b></li><li>Led by the <b>right team</b></li></ol><p>That's it.</p><p><br /></p><p>Once you have the story and the structure of the pitch, it gets easier. </p><p>Here's a list of <b>must-have slides</b> (inspired by <a href="https://www.ekaapitch.com/blog/50-best-pitch-deck-examples-from-famous-startups/" target="_blank">much smarter people than me</a>) that serve the storyline. </p><p><b>(Note</b>: also useful for introducing a new product, a significant feature, and even a side hustle.)</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">1. Cover slide</h3><p>Representative, clean, with the name of the company, logo, and a tagline or short vision statement. </p><p>Hint: time to come up with a name and a logo.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Optional: Vision/mission slide</h3><p>The opening statement needs to describe the organization's long-term goals and aspirations. It should be brief and concise, inspiring, and with clear intent. Tesla's mission statement is: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” If you have such a statement - you might want to use it as an opening slide, but if you don't have something strong and inspiring - better keep it out. </p><p><br /></p><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Situation </h3><p>Many presentations start with the problem, but I prefer to start with the <b>current situation</b> to make sure everyone is on the same page. This is the starting point, in which I set the stage for the chain of events that lead to the problem. </p><p>Here's how <b><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Bufferapp/buffer-seedrounddeck" target="_blank">Buffer</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/BrianArmstrong29/coinbase-seed-round-pitch-deck" target="_blank">Coinbase</a></b> started their pitches: an introduction to the existing situation.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9WFz6JcvZmPKzvlc0FPgARu1RHEDaUy3XbHap3QfGOvDpp8nRosGZOUWh4YLcFJruyD8vB-Mfv7kK_WFgpy6cKbJezTeOluYNoRpOX1KwJU59bcqI6OURjBtk2LgOOrZ-W-Yd0GhILR_UqhjQGytlX-_40RGUtO4PEFoe_Yy4u2c4jcQBl87Mloe/s1239/situationx2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Buffer and Coinbase's situation slides - introducing a trend" border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="1239" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9WFz6JcvZmPKzvlc0FPgARu1RHEDaUy3XbHap3QfGOvDpp8nRosGZOUWh4YLcFJruyD8vB-Mfv7kK_WFgpy6cKbJezTeOluYNoRpOX1KwJU59bcqI6OURjBtk2LgOOrZ-W-Yd0GhILR_UqhjQGytlX-_40RGUtO4PEFoe_Yy4u2c4jcQBl87Mloe/w640-h244/situationx2.jpg" title="Buffer and Coinbase's situation slides - introducing a trend" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buffer and Coinbase's situation slides - introducing a trend</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. Problem</h3><p>Painful, significant, and growing. Definitely not going away.</p><p>They say you should fall in love with the <b>problem</b> and <b>not</b> the <b>solution</b>. Which means you need to find a good problem to solve. </p><p>The problem has to be significant enough for people to care about it and search for alternative (usually inferior) solutions. Make sure to mention them to emphasize the significance of the problem.</p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPzOuYlL5CXgASFhwbXn3BylM6RIsJRZ4khX8L1atR-sP6ytnMmSOj29VuXWZXXrcmvpcxUuu4BTtnbBOP3gWHzYstodq6Qj_mlLXHgqm5N5nbow9etbQsuGco2K_paOBGyHpdj2MOcXP_dmGerpc4bqBhvmk7xbm3OSTOFKioUz7QSzPMrbtz53R/s1767/tinder%20problem.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tinder's problem slide(s)" border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1767" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPzOuYlL5CXgASFhwbXn3BylM6RIsJRZ4khX8L1atR-sP6ytnMmSOj29VuXWZXXrcmvpcxUuu4BTtnbBOP3gWHzYstodq6Qj_mlLXHgqm5N5nbow9etbQsuGco2K_paOBGyHpdj2MOcXP_dmGerpc4bqBhvmk7xbm3OSTOFKioUz7QSzPMrbtz53R/w640-h178/tinder%20problem.jpg" title="Tinder's problem slide(s)" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tinder's problem slide(s)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJq8_msco4qVp3SOBEzD0JEJJ-oy2li1ZhwRcQ3q_U-p2Fi7rYQHrL1FBHB8_mOUhd86oQkjVwIqA3V5_VRI0-jrxUGNRqyelsWvljrL9vTKY6t6ZHZHdk6-uDutrVkS1UGiQy0vKhgHD7Nfiqy-RTzcmp-Ne_gDUeTIG-fJXks9FWKaRrH3oZY00H/s1144/problems%20youtubve%20and%20intercom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="YouTube and Intercom's problem slides" border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="1144" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJq8_msco4qVp3SOBEzD0JEJJ-oy2li1ZhwRcQ3q_U-p2Fi7rYQHrL1FBHB8_mOUhd86oQkjVwIqA3V5_VRI0-jrxUGNRqyelsWvljrL9vTKY6t6ZHZHdk6-uDutrVkS1UGiQy0vKhgHD7Nfiqy-RTzcmp-Ne_gDUeTIG-fJXks9FWKaRrH3oZY00H/w640-h254/problems%20youtubve%20and%20intercom.jpg" title="YouTube and Intercom's problem slides" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YouTube and Intercom's problem slides</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Solution</h3><p>How does your product solve the problem and how it is different from what is currently available.</p><p>What's the value proposition? How will it make the customer's life better? </p><p>A good shortcut is to borrow the name of a successful product (from another market) to explain your idea, for example: "Uber for x", or "<a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/innovators-dilemma-2023-google-vs-bots.html" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a> for kids".</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorEFltXMfHJOoGjqkqRESw15e3q-17uGWqY_fnqfLvN4gTkjTWSSBwC-soFP1PeYCBUW1261kholjY3P7jQeaY_6Mw08uGUtjr1pS3F81sw2PsiXiH7lVEkRJsEUGKrWqtYchOeIvSMqnmh1K-bklRRUBEt8E5r_7xyfLZh4SjSpfZuh77u5ZAqL5/s1140/coinbase%20solution.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Coinbase's solution slide + an extra explanation slide" border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="1140" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorEFltXMfHJOoGjqkqRESw15e3q-17uGWqY_fnqfLvN4gTkjTWSSBwC-soFP1PeYCBUW1261kholjY3P7jQeaY_6Mw08uGUtjr1pS3F81sw2PsiXiH7lVEkRJsEUGKrWqtYchOeIvSMqnmh1K-bklRRUBEt8E5r_7xyfLZh4SjSpfZuh77u5ZAqL5/w640-h242/coinbase%20solution.jpg" title="Coinbase's solution slide + an extra explanation slide" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coinbase's solution slide + an extra explanation slide</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUdqwikVGJCtRj55YIC1WsXpNENYg89Fzc-xw2jYj97xh5QL60DwMN3ib4IVz6xlqaWuHF8tKSjKkAP7etzhC9-T4mmCPw22-F7AzN9Xz78iiu2kZCzbZwVzxfZHMa_z6P6tCOVer25NRrxFUcpGhSUXiszwehyhidowMZ2gYAWjK4zOj7MfwOiAz/s1304/The%20solution%20slide.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Intercom and Equitybee - solution slides" border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="1304" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUdqwikVGJCtRj55YIC1WsXpNENYg89Fzc-xw2jYj97xh5QL60DwMN3ib4IVz6xlqaWuHF8tKSjKkAP7etzhC9-T4mmCPw22-F7AzN9Xz78iiu2kZCzbZwVzxfZHMa_z6P6tCOVer25NRrxFUcpGhSUXiszwehyhidowMZ2gYAWjK4zOj7MfwOiAz/w640-h220/The%20solution%20slide.jpg" title="Intercom and Equitybee - solution slides" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/eoghanmccabe/intercoms-first-pitch-deck" target="_blank">Intercom</a> and <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/PPerksi/equity-bee" target="_blank">Equitybee</a> - solution slides</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">5. Product</h3><p>Usually a few screenshots (or mockups) of the product. </p><p>Not a demo. A demo will lead to an offline discussion, questions about the UX, bringing up product ideas, and bugs, it will take the discussion off course and make it hard to stick with the script. </p><p>Keep this one as short and fancy as possible, and if a demo is required - wait for a later stage. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYEXnnFXJXEsHuASgkvoRfR0jWLWIroZ-W1MLccwUBvKlVb-kTaGY6FmmQqNlSgHrVM5fJxwlwBeSOT48UPPxLonshbMoDHKPCMJos-eMlqKFF-qbN6cJACoppOZy_76wRUXI5R_Neb2oFqHG3P2khWCywcdbJocKCAeiSNgWka7BpOyeo-DpQxdH/s1117/Product%20demo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Product slides by Airbnb, Snap, Revolut, and Block (Square)" border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1117" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYEXnnFXJXEsHuASgkvoRfR0jWLWIroZ-W1MLccwUBvKlVb-kTaGY6FmmQqNlSgHrVM5fJxwlwBeSOT48UPPxLonshbMoDHKPCMJos-eMlqKFF-qbN6cJACoppOZy_76wRUXI5R_Neb2oFqHG3P2khWCywcdbJocKCAeiSNgWka7BpOyeo-DpQxdH/w640-h512/Product%20demo.jpg" title="Product slides by Airbnb, Snap, Revolut, and Block (Square)" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Product slides by <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/ryangum/airbnb-pitch-deck-from-2008" target="_blank">Airbnb</a>, <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Calimen/235629204-snapchatbusinessdeck" target="_blank">Snap</a>, <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/BaseTemplates/revolut-pitch-deck" target="_blank">Revolut</a>, and Block (<a href="https://www.slideshare.net/pitchenvy/square-pitch-deck" target="_blank">Square</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Optional: Why now? </h3><p>If you selected not to start with the current "situation" slide - you can include the trends and chain of events here. This should help you build up momentum and FOMO. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">6. Target market: </h3><p>Who is your target market, and how big is the opportunity? </p><p>It's an exercise, so use TAM and SAM, and make them look enormous, but don't make fun of it: include some reliable sources to build credibility. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hRyzzbV8ME9rFi5i1C2xaW0hKT5QsD5IHUmY7MkfSqSVGxxCKZvnbm9x0xcNikBYVVWo4FGwpHx2Pw_6kw-6QqbAiA7IY-32A2MLhoJARGmWb58_B9kRlo1VswC0cApZsSc02RyVxS_tRrluO6wTvhJH14IRIw2vSaAOa9yYHcDhe3sPdIBEmVxr/s1105/market%20size.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Equitybee and Revolut market size slides" border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="1105" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hRyzzbV8ME9rFi5i1C2xaW0hKT5QsD5IHUmY7MkfSqSVGxxCKZvnbm9x0xcNikBYVVWo4FGwpHx2Pw_6kw-6QqbAiA7IY-32A2MLhoJARGmWb58_B9kRlo1VswC0cApZsSc02RyVxS_tRrluO6wTvhJH14IRIw2vSaAOa9yYHcDhe3sPdIBEmVxr/w640-h220/market%20size.jpg" title="Equitybee and Revolut market size slides" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/PPerksi/equity-bee" target="_blank">Equitybee</a> and <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/BaseTemplates/revolut-pitch-deck" target="_blank">Revolut</a> market size slides</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">7. Competitive landscape</h3><p>Here's how you <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/how-to-start-your-competitor-research.html" target="_blank">start researching your competitors</a>. </p><p>If you don't show any - you'll look unreliable. If you can't find any - that's a <b>red flag</b> that the business may not be as interesting as you think. </p><p>Recently funded competitors might feel like a treat, but their existence is a validation of the problem. So make sure to include them and their story. </p><p>And no matter what, make sure your product looks superior to all the others (even if it hasn't been built yet... 😉):</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Always have the <b>highest number of checkmarks </b>✅ </li><li>Always place yourself at the <b>top right corner</b> of the quadrant 😉. </li></ol><p></p><p>(Oh, and be prepared to explain why...)</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgjjhvmCq4StR8LGmu2RhJxnseCdKBnVcTY9ys5eJb95vpW9heoBT3KcZ2DdVZFCIu0QaLoM9DhGOrLn5TfYGeCMJ9sY4Jw3qic0XfjJIOhtTIA35YarDye6Aq91R2whGV52oYnN7AbN7Icuqu-P3uBYVLuXFoUZINUP8lbaqaXzfv3SdnZkbmqYM/s1232/competitive%20landscape.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Apteo and Front's competitive landscape slides" border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="1232" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgjjhvmCq4StR8LGmu2RhJxnseCdKBnVcTY9ys5eJb95vpW9heoBT3KcZ2DdVZFCIu0QaLoM9DhGOrLn5TfYGeCMJ9sY4Jw3qic0XfjJIOhtTIA35YarDye6Aq91R2whGV52oYnN7AbN7Icuqu-P3uBYVLuXFoUZINUP8lbaqaXzfv3SdnZkbmqYM/w640-h192/competitive%20landscape.jpg" title="Apteo and Front's competitive landscape slides" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/PPerksi/apteo" target="_blank">Apteo</a> and <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/MathildeCollin/front-series-a-deck-64596550" target="_blank">Front</a>'s competitive landscape slides</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p>In the introduction and launch of the first iPhone in 2007, <b>Steve Jobs</b> described other phones as either "not so smart" or "hard to use". </p><p>It was a brilliant way to describe the superiority and uniqueness of the iPhone. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13fOBe3t_HdJuRdCSnPxGAZKHo24zgVjMnvSgdej-Y6MHvZEwsV1VFgwcIJHVHrchCEQ-mj4HfrGFX2OoUdhb_BiEP5aDqjMPbGAnDW4SYsmDIwki81g_oc1fB9CXCKV5OZhPXOiv3Q06RLEEEF9uVQ5rL1Oa_SV5Lh20faK1-_jR8GKdPMNy1G-Q/s588/iphone%20launch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Apple's iPhone competitors comparison" border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="588" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13fOBe3t_HdJuRdCSnPxGAZKHo24zgVjMnvSgdej-Y6MHvZEwsV1VFgwcIJHVHrchCEQ-mj4HfrGFX2OoUdhb_BiEP5aDqjMPbGAnDW4SYsmDIwki81g_oc1fB9CXCKV5OZhPXOiv3Q06RLEEEF9uVQ5rL1Oa_SV5Lh20faK1-_jR8GKdPMNy1G-Q/w640-h350/iphone%20launch.jpg" title="Apple's iPhone competitors comparison" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Place it in the top right corner... higher... a little bit further to the right... that's it!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">8. Business model</h3><p>How are you going to make money? </p><p>There are a few topics to include in this slide: pricing strategy, revenue model, expected LTV, sales and distribution models, and anything else that is relevant. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBJQ2HOUwR3NCXdwaBnYpK2Rdj-Ki4UbGgcQHgXoHA32eXzgvy0Pk_EO8wbGGR8ws6IyqOSL0_h8Nr4KBFurCiA-bOcyGtRlDLx9LOqehuc82rVHCBjWHWtZCddSP7NMsKiXMrz06gOjF1oJFd8L2rj-IAJWexzbzj9qX16GF6WylxTtCIW3gDSX4/s1207/business%20model.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dropbox and Airbnb's business model slides" border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="1207" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBJQ2HOUwR3NCXdwaBnYpK2Rdj-Ki4UbGgcQHgXoHA32eXzgvy0Pk_EO8wbGGR8ws6IyqOSL0_h8Nr4KBFurCiA-bOcyGtRlDLx9LOqehuc82rVHCBjWHWtZCddSP7NMsKiXMrz06gOjF1oJFd8L2rj-IAJWexzbzj9qX16GF6WylxTtCIW3gDSX4/w640-h246/business%20model.jpg" title="Dropbox and Airbnb's business model slides" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dropbox and Airbnb's business model slides</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>Tip</b>: Don't go too far with financial projections. In early stages, all numbers are made up. They know it, you know it. Play the game politely and explain your assumptions. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">9. Go-to-market</h3><p></p><p>Remember our storyline? The problem many are suffering from, and only you have the solution? Well, assuming there are people out there willing to pay for your solution - <b>do you know how to find them?</b> That's go-to-market. </p><p>Describe how you plan to reach and acquire customers, including marketing and sales strategies.</p><p>This slide needs to convince everyone that you know <b>how to reach your target audience,</b> and more importantly - know <b>how to sell</b> them your product. </p><p>Come prepared to answer questions like what would be the target audience, and how much will it cost to bring them on board? What's the CAC, conversion rate, and other marketing-oriented questions. </p><p>If you haven't launched yet, you might need to estimate based on experiments you ran or research you conducted, but if your product is already out there - you need to present those numbers like a pro. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRKOwxYpfMoPhR1p1HuA44R4l1xFE2FTMaYKRL_s9e5ZOQij41jl9xBgkJbn1Q4MAbRCKkDWrFR4NwII08vn9D1z3Gs1o8LvXSFC-BfnktCSroxZEh93FyAniVf5dTDbox_8lD6dLtxwVpLz-pR5ikfGW9oJB363H0CKUkbWD4ugm2KKUn1VsrZgJ/s2134/go%20to%20market.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Apteo, Square, and Front's go-to-market slides" border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="2134" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRKOwxYpfMoPhR1p1HuA44R4l1xFE2FTMaYKRL_s9e5ZOQij41jl9xBgkJbn1Q4MAbRCKkDWrFR4NwII08vn9D1z3Gs1o8LvXSFC-BfnktCSroxZEh93FyAniVf5dTDbox_8lD6dLtxwVpLz-pR5ikfGW9oJB363H0CKUkbWD4ugm2KKUn1VsrZgJ/w640-h148/go%20to%20market.jpg" title="Apteo, Square, and Front's go-to-market slides" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apteo, Square, and Front's go-to-market slides </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">10. Team: </h3><p><b>Founders</b> are on top, then <b>key employees</b> or managers, and then <b>advisors</b>. </p><p>Emphasize what makes them the right team: relevant experience, unique knowledge, and most of all: track record. </p><p>Use strong visuals to emphasize the team's strengths: company logos, track record, previous M&A, etc.</p><p>Don't know where to start? Look <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=team+slide+in+pitch+deck+template&hl=en&sxsrf=ALiCzsaLiUOq5i8JGkNmuzD9r2JvlyIdQw:1672697145308&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiasKa58qn8AhUigv0HHZKND34Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=883&dpr=1" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">11. Traction / Achievements</h3><p>There are various ways to demonstrate traction and show progress. Select the ones that make sense and make sure to include them in your presentation: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Milestones (done + planned) </li><li>Traction (number of users, early sign-ups, revenue, conversion rate, retention, etc.) </li><li>Significant deals signed </li><li>Partnerships</li><li>Testimonials</li></ul><p></p><p>Without demonstrating any of the above, how will they trust your ability to execute? </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90h6I_3q7tiU2n_QRSU-EPNXqRKZ0yiVVjAOViQ92zzb3jzLiRYFf-lhGQivhUtrVldIATclWuXsUwhNFvEO9Mcm-OIpXVXMi4lYSTQdnpS5-frCVSAXdjKBgB7nYy066AJ4bZ0RBj8RPs3BJWZmh_-y-dKPojrBs8OulXgZCn_Or8o4KaWqfzYQT/s1730/traction.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Traction slides by Heyday, Revolut, and Buffer" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="1730" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90h6I_3q7tiU2n_QRSU-EPNXqRKZ0yiVVjAOViQ92zzb3jzLiRYFf-lhGQivhUtrVldIATclWuXsUwhNFvEO9Mcm-OIpXVXMi4lYSTQdnpS5-frCVSAXdjKBgB7nYy066AJ4bZ0RBj8RPs3BJWZmh_-y-dKPojrBs8OulXgZCn_Or8o4KaWqfzYQT/w640-h144/traction.jpg" title="Traction slides by Heyday, Revolut, and Buffer" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traction slides by Heyday, Revolut, and Buffer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpAtY-xfavWS40pUKakXYslXz-bL9DzB3zZsuSBhI43lpzoLEuVzGoyj19J8Rpr8nW1zYrf2pmhZIXpR8Lply7WJ8n_17UFv0HZ1Q23vL11VJStcuGTw-hbHckuSGLAXVu6Lwdr-5qY07fuwVZP-0rUn7iraYP6z5CXx7sAX35jzw490Ymhhpjaez/s1716/traction%20slide.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Traction slides by Coinbase, Intercom, and YouTube" border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="1716" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpAtY-xfavWS40pUKakXYslXz-bL9DzB3zZsuSBhI43lpzoLEuVzGoyj19J8Rpr8nW1zYrf2pmhZIXpR8Lply7WJ8n_17UFv0HZ1Q23vL11VJStcuGTw-hbHckuSGLAXVu6Lwdr-5qY07fuwVZP-0rUn7iraYP6z5CXx7sAX35jzw490Ymhhpjaez/w640-h166/traction%20slide.jpg" title="Traction slides by Coinbase, Intercom, and YouTube" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traction slides by Coinbase, Intercom, and YouTube</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">12. Financials</h3><p>This one typically requires more than one slide and should include the following: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>P&L (Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold / Cost of Sales, Gross Profit, EBITDA)</li><li>Expenses breakdown</li><li>Balance sheet </li><li>Key revenue/profit matrics if any</li></ul><p></p><p>Financing information (e.g. funding secured, terms of funding)</p><p>Relevant financial documents (e.g. financial statements, budget projections)</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Optional: Highlights / Summary</h3><p>Generally, it's best to keep presentations short and sweet, but sometimes a summary slide can help reinforce key points.</p><p>In any event, a summary slide should include nothing but a few short bullets.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">13. The Ask </h3><p>This slide should state the amount of funding that you are seeking and how you plan to use it. The use of proceeds should include key milestones or goals that you plan to achieve.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dZrcqsUgpdcZ2jxG269-dMv131TwUjDYBKbFk08IrDKt1G7ThCV6EhiYofnuDsKN1PLkcEz4sUi8Sv6C8P0roUf7jCKBX8NJYvkEeJiIXznYBqVGQGafeV-SdXvk_RbN2k1oWcEOtQXUz3J584fgxdPaMlOjXlTThhgpptAEslO-R9d_I9G1Tyt7/s1151/the%20ask.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Ask slides by Intercom and Zestful" border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="1151" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dZrcqsUgpdcZ2jxG269-dMv131TwUjDYBKbFk08IrDKt1G7ThCV6EhiYofnuDsKN1PLkcEz4sUi8Sv6C8P0roUf7jCKBX8NJYvkEeJiIXznYBqVGQGafeV-SdXvk_RbN2k1oWcEOtQXUz3J584fgxdPaMlOjXlTThhgpptAEslO-R9d_I9G1Tyt7/w640-h240/the%20ask.jpg" title="The Ask slides by Intercom and Zestful" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ask slides by Intercom and <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/BaseTemplates/zestful-pitch-deck" target="_blank">Zestful</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Appendix </h3><p>Assume there will be questions, and it's always best to get prepared with some nice-looking slides. </p><p>Here are the ones I found to be handy: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Product roadmap</li><li>Additional metrics (if available) such as conversion rates, <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/cohort-analysis-retention-rate.html" target="_blank">retention rates</a>, <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">hard activation ratio</a>, etc. </li><li>Unit economics (if available) </li><li>Cap table </li><li>Referencable reports</li><li>Top Risks and how do you plan to address them </li><li>Anything else that pops up often as a question - should get a dedicated slide so it's available for future discussions. </li></ul><p></p><h3><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Design</h3><div style="text-align: left;">If you feel your deck looks lousy and have no budget to bring a designer - here are <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/10/12-reasons-your-presentation-sucks-and.html" target="_blank">12 reasons your presentation sucks and how to fix it</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>You can also follow some of my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/10-guides-for-designing-better-products.html" target="_blank">UX/UI design recommendation</a>s to design better-looking slides. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever you do, remember some basic rules that always work: </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Get rid of too much text, it's a TikTok world. </li><li>Pay attention to alignment, margins, white spaces</li><li>Be consistent (reusing old slides = different fonts, different colors 🤦🏻♂️)</li><li>Use proper visuals (hint: high-resolution images, keep proportions, don't be weird)</li><li>Don't get too fancy - you don't want it to look like you don't have anything better to do... </li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for this one. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you found it useful - make sure to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-29006385759371040402022-12-16T07:02:00.003-08:002022-12-18T05:57:15.761-08:00Understanding the Innovator's Dilemma in 2023: Google vs. the Bots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDXstrFOWpXqa3TIv38C3JfBKajix1awuRLhbIraN0mw_XvYzgywx9ZCddmct7y8hGnnrD1nf7FKpULi3l3bq2RuOlrNhiMM4CEAQPzwBrvy7jxH37A3zWlx6bTYM1fotfzXoNtVz3tO2YI7N67TFJ0rfZgAPjnVYCKorRWsE8Liz_stulWo0mTWd/s901/Google%20innovators%20dilemma.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Innovator's Dilemma 2023: Google vs. ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="901" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDXstrFOWpXqa3TIv38C3JfBKajix1awuRLhbIraN0mw_XvYzgywx9ZCddmct7y8hGnnrD1nf7FKpULi3l3bq2RuOlrNhiMM4CEAQPzwBrvy7jxH37A3zWlx6bTYM1fotfzXoNtVz3tO2YI7N67TFJ0rfZgAPjnVYCKorRWsE8Liz_stulWo0mTWd/s16000/Google%20innovators%20dilemma.jpg" title="Innovator's Dilemma 2023: Google vs. ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Is ChatGPT a Google Killer? </h2><p>With the rise of <a href="https://chat.openai.com/chat" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a>, Google is now facing a business-model problem for the first time in years. There's a new disruptive technology in town, and it's about to revolutionize the way humans find information online. <b>Searching</b> is out. <b>Asking</b> is in. </p><p>Google makes money (~60% of revenue) when people skim through multiple search results and click on ads placed next to organic links, but soon there's going to be a superior way to get immediate answers without skimming and clicking.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>Soon enough people will start asking themselves: why search for it when we can just ask?</blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3TFV7T2Wo_GDOYWvKqi5ZmU9kjirrm8jRdJVCCxQkUrok9Gd9vA6l04--DTv5YPCL5OrW3WapBPiHg-qzFDDYGutsb0KlC0_I0l-PAiR9NTew1M4bqTJ1vwIn3tK0zI99CwqUP2imRD9K-seWgY9AWmzHfhdXTdL1GqfllFgyRVJLJiAsFwwz83U/s750/Google-vs-ChatGPT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Why search when you can just ask? Google vs. ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3TFV7T2Wo_GDOYWvKqi5ZmU9kjirrm8jRdJVCCxQkUrok9Gd9vA6l04--DTv5YPCL5OrW3WapBPiHg-qzFDDYGutsb0KlC0_I0l-PAiR9NTew1M4bqTJ1vwIn3tK0zI99CwqUP2imRD9K-seWgY9AWmzHfhdXTdL1GqfllFgyRVJLJiAsFwwz83U/w320-h213/Google-vs-ChatGPT.jpg" title="Why search when you can just ask? Google vs. ChatGPT - the mobile spoon" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div>With this <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation" target="_blank">disruptive innovation</a>, Google is now facing an interesting <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244" target="_blank">innovator's dilemma</a>: <p>Google has <a href="https://blog.google/technology/ai/lamda/" target="_blank">similar AI capabilities (LaMDA)</a> but <b>chose not to release them</b>, fearing wrong results will make people lose trust in the good old search brand. </p><p>So while <a href="https://openai.com/" target="_blank">OpenAI</a> positions <a href="https://chat.openai.com/auth/login" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a> as something experimental, evolving, and exciting, Google refrains from using similar technology in order not to risk its' <b>existing business</b>. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sounds familiar? </h2><p>Here are a few classic <b>Innovator's Dilemma</b> examples. In most of them, it ended up pretty bad for the incumbents: </p><p>1. <b>Kodak</b> was a pioneer in the film photography industry, but the company struggled to adapt to the shift to digital photography. Kodak engineer Steve Sasson actually invented the digital camera in the '70s, but Kodak’s leadership rejected the idea, fearing it would cannibalize the existing film business. The patent expired in 2007 and Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012.</p><p>2. <b>Blockbuster</b> was a dominant player in the home video rental industry for many years, but the company failed to adapt to the rise of streaming services like Netflix. As streaming became more popular, Blockbuster struggled to keep up and ultimately went bankrupt in 2010.</p><p>3. <b>Xerox</b> was a leader in the copiers market, but the company struggled to adapt to the rise of cheap, smaller photocopiers from Canon and Ricoh. The market expanded from large organizations only, to a wide spread of personal photocopiers, and Xerox was left behind. </p><p>4. <b>Blackberry</b> was ubiquitous in the smartphone market. They basically invented the smartphone as we know it, and put it in the hands of millions of business people, but the company struggled to adapt to the rise of the iPhone and Android. While consumers quickly adopted the all-touch smartphones, Blackberry insisted on physical keyboards and enterprise play, dropping from 43% market share to 5% in just 3 years.</p><p>5. In 1996, <b>General Motors</b> rolled out the EV1, an innovative electric car. GM produced 1,117 EV1s but made them only available for lease. The car was popular among environmentalists and celebrities like Tom Hanks and Mel Gibson. Despite creating traction, GM decided to stop the EV initiative fearing electric vehicles would cannibalize its conventional business. Then came Tesla, and the rest is history... </p><p>6. <b>Microsoft</b>, once the all-mighty king of personal computers, struggled to adapt to the rise of mobile computing. Microsoft CEO back then Steve Balmer was quoted saying about the iPhone: </p><p style="text-align: center;">"That is the most expensive phone in the world, and it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard."</p><div style="text-align: left;">As an instinctive reaction, Microsoft tried to position its' old <b>Windows Mobile</b> as a legit mobile OS. When it failed to gain significant market share, Microsoft eventually acquired the smartphone business of Nokia and developed the <b>Windows Phone</b> operating system, but it was too little, too late. As a result, Microsoft had to shift its focus to cloud computing and other areas in order to remain competitive.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Each time a disruptive technology emerged, between half and two third of the existing companies failed to maintain their leadership position in the market. So if history tells us anything, Google should be very worried right now. </div><div><br /></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Solving the innovator's dilemma</h2><div>But wait, surely there are contradicting examples where leading companies were able to successfully navigate the Innovator's Dilemma and reinvent themselves? </div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>Here are 3 of them: </div><div><div><br /></div><div>1. <b>Apple</b> has been able to disrupt its' own technology a few times: when the iPod was released, it had a unique user experience with the click wheel, easy music sync, and direct purchase of songs. As cheap copycats started to gain popularity and iPod sales started to erode, Apple built <b>smaller</b>, more <b>convenient</b>, and <b>cheaper</b> models. First with the iPod <b>Mini</b>, and later with iPod <b>Nano</b>. If this is not enough, Apple made the iPod <b>obsolete</b> (and then killed it) with the release of the <b>iPhone</b> and Apple Music streaming services. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Apple has a reputation for <b>not</b> listening to its customers. Instead, the company focuses on building great products with superior user experience, and then <a href="https://hbr.org/2010/01/how-apple-innovates-by-telling" target="_blank">persuading the customers they should love them</a>. </div><div>The <b>iPad</b> as another example. was a product nobody asked for, that had the potential to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/18/apple-mac-relationship/" target="_blank">cannibalize the Mac business</a>, and yet, Apple decided to release it and by doing so invented a new product category. </div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>By taking this approach, many believe Apple was able to bend all the rules of disruption, and successfully navigate the Innovator's Dilemma (at least for the time being).</div></div><div><br /></div><div>2. <b>Amazon</b> started as an <b>online bookstore</b>, but quickly expanded into other areas such as electronics, home goods, and even grocery delivery. In parallel, Amazon created <b>AWS</b> and invested in <b><a href="https://aws.amazon.com/machine-learning/" target="_blank">artificial intelligence</a></b>, which has helped the company stay ahead of its competitors.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. <b>Netflix</b> started as a DVD-by-mail service, but quickly adapted to the rise of <b>streaming</b> video and pioneered the online streaming market. As it evolved, Netflix reinvented itself as a <b>content production company</b>, which has helped it stand out from its competitors.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Back to Google: </h2><div><b>Google</b> may have missed the opportunity to wow the world with its' own AI, however, it has similar capabilities to the ones demonstrated by ChatGPT and can easily promote it to its billions of users (over 90% market share). </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The question is:</b> will it continue to play <b>defense</b>, trying to protect existing search behavior, or will it try to <b>disrupt its own business</b> with real innovation.</div><div><br /></div><div>So far Google has been very cautious about making radical changes in Search. Recent enhancements did include some smart additions such as a <b>highlighted summary</b> at the top and a few <b>popular questions & answers</b> - usually <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/05/fold-still-thing-in-todays-scrolling.html" target="_blank">above the fold</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wbv02rOrYAUUVEkHRcpTRckypgB4OkVE7yCoBgmyNxGKpWH2C0Rk2zV6R0H5kI9T9aIhbG2gKjTc9fs4DnZlTRgBrgvPFKmnWu2KJvZmEwtmG1NzYkppNccs9mbMG119kqT93IeTDvr6mbOh3B-1Ew_TqibEu3QGXNK1I_yFXLPcb-LM5P36q1bw/s780/Google%20Search.jpg"><img alt="Google search results - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="780" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wbv02rOrYAUUVEkHRcpTRckypgB4OkVE7yCoBgmyNxGKpWH2C0Rk2zV6R0H5kI9T9aIhbG2gKjTc9fs4DnZlTRgBrgvPFKmnWu2KJvZmEwtmG1NzYkppNccs9mbMG119kqT93IeTDvr6mbOh3B-1Ew_TqibEu3QGXNK1I_yFXLPcb-LM5P36q1bw/w640-h480/Google%20Search.jpg" title="Google search results - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I see those changes as playing defense, but now that the bots are starting to take over the world, maybe it's time to go on the offensive? </div><div><br /></div><div><div>. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GilBouhnick" target="_blank">@gilbouhnick</a> or subscribe to my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> and become 27% more awesome than average.</div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-53828573736494957662022-12-12T14:13:00.004-08:002022-12-13T02:46:56.897-08:00Forms completion rates - statistics, insights, and takeaways <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIDC2GSk7ETI_12U6Pif0e0eDlGGFKHHWdVC9Y-VGsq_okigyMukNiAQVEfENMLlCzM1zltaJMkzM_3hVFNy5q0FBqHotBlTmC5jXgDQOcDZ8gN1eaPHdMhbA-p-r22clIQYO7c6TXIQs_kKkKJ_2Tj9trNXVsmb8UwaH8woAL-5kJd4IkXrsW4jI/s1800/forms-concept-illustration_114360-4797.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIDC2GSk7ETI_12U6Pif0e0eDlGGFKHHWdVC9Y-VGsq_okigyMukNiAQVEfENMLlCzM1zltaJMkzM_3hVFNy5q0FBqHotBlTmC5jXgDQOcDZ8gN1eaPHdMhbA-p-r22clIQYO7c6TXIQs_kKkKJ_2Tj9trNXVsmb8UwaH8woAL-5kJd4IkXrsW4jI/s16000/forms-concept-illustration_114360-4797.webp" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Designing forms has always been a challenge. No matter if we're working on a simple onboarding form, lead scoring or a KYC form, UX is always a concern: how many fields should we have? what completion rate should we expect? Do we really need a phone number or can we get away without it? </p><p>So as a service to my future self, here are some useful <b>insights</b> and <b>statistics</b> about <b>form completion rates</b>, taken from different studies. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What is a good form completion rate?</h2><p>The average landing page has a conversion rate of <b>2.35%</b>, with top websites converting roughly <b>11.5%</b> of visitors.</p><p>A report from <a href="http://blog.wishpond.com/post/113433369138/landing-page-benchmark-report-conversion-rates" target="_blank">WishPond</a>, involving 146 landing pages found some different numbers:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>64 B2B landing pages showed an average of <b>13.28%</b> conversion rate</li><li>80 B2C landing pages showed an average of <b>9.87%</b> conversion rate</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Abandonment rate varies between industries: </p><p></p><ul><li>Travel: <b>81%</b> abandonment rate </li><li>Nonprofit: <b>77.9%</b> abandonment rate </li><li>Finance: <b>75.7%</b> abandonment rate </li><li>Retail: <b>75.8%</b> abandonment rate </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>People abandon online forms due to: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Security concerns: <b>29%</b></li><li>Form length: <b>27%</b></li><li>Advertisements or upselling <b>11%</b></li><li>Unnecessary questions <b>10% </b></li></ol>(Source: <a href="https://convertica.org/reduce-form-abandonment/" target="_blank">Convertica</a>)<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0Kaw_CWvIIZWnYkppL8yCzIoIXse63Hskp0yTZ85DjbTj-3Fsmr9ga2fskvb7MQ9BINMvvEel0ZR82JYWVmiYKUdGohbqs0s5LTNQBYxVcch0LJ3e9tCcZpL4blPce9k26ABiM0HxE1KjUArOHjFXH5LjY3HC2X6OnXHaG3MWnnw6QOiTphVglag/s821/Why%20do%20they%20abandon%20your%20forms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Why do they abandon your forms - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="821" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0Kaw_CWvIIZWnYkppL8yCzIoIXse63Hskp0yTZ85DjbTj-3Fsmr9ga2fskvb7MQ9BINMvvEel0ZR82JYWVmiYKUdGohbqs0s5LTNQBYxVcch0LJ3e9tCcZpL4blPce9k26ABiM0HxE1KjUArOHjFXH5LjY3HC2X6OnXHaG3MWnnw6QOiTphVglag/w640-h418/Why%20do%20they%20abandon%20your%20forms.jpg" title="Why do they abandon your forms - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><div><br /></div><div>12% of users will abandon online checkout forms if trust badges are absent. (<a href="https://financesonline.com/form-abandonment-statistics/" target="_blank">source</a>)</div><p><b>Takeaway</b>: add trust symbols by embedding a lock icon next to sensitive information.</p><p><b>Takeaway</b>: add "why do we ask for your...?" next to a sensitive question. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYdwxug04EuUADrPGQZZPRgK86px6khDPbgryC_2PEqOmpiIN2_fWu3yV2_6dKqmoq7x2B9wXvS089HYvwNmjAbGtsD18r_Vm00RUer-XDr1aCU6-OGbjUplyvc3852w_QE3MzImTHHsclQRy_Ra52hJNbX3DfYoz0yqhd-r5vegILK_rg3-vl303/s852/why%20do%20we%20need%20your%20information.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Why do we need your information - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="852" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYdwxug04EuUADrPGQZZPRgK86px6khDPbgryC_2PEqOmpiIN2_fWu3yV2_6dKqmoq7x2B9wXvS089HYvwNmjAbGtsD18r_Vm00RUer-XDr1aCU6-OGbjUplyvc3852w_QE3MzImTHHsclQRy_Ra52hJNbX3DfYoz0yqhd-r5vegILK_rg3-vl303/w640-h388/why%20do%20we%20need%20your%20information.jpg" title="Why do we need your information - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be transparent and explain why you ask for sensitive information</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Keep it simple: <b>67%</b> of site visitors will <b>abandon</b> your form forever if they encounter any complications; only<b> 20%</b> will follow up with the company in some way.</p><p>30% of people will return to complete a form if there’s something in it for them such as a free tool. (<a href="https://wpforms.com/online-form-statistics-facts" target="_blank">source</a>)</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How many form fields are too many?</h2><p>The average B2B lead form length in 2019 was <b>5 fields</b>, which usually results in the highest conversion rates. (source: <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-email-lead-capture" target="_blank">Hubspot</a>)</p><p>The average B2C contact form has <b>3 fields</b> resulting in the best conversion rate: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>3 fields per form ==> <b>25%</b> conversion rate</li><li>4 fields per form ==> <b>20%</b> conversion rate</li><li>5 fields per form ==> <b>15%</b> conversion rate </li></ul><p>With consumer forms - removing a single field can boost the form completion rate by <b>25%</b>.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How to design a form for maximum conversion?</h2><div><div>According to <a href="https://wpforms.com/online-form-statistics-facts/" target="_blank">WPForms</a>, <b>2-column forms</b> are confusing and can lead to <b>abandonment</b>.</div><div><b>Takeaway</b>: use mobile-style forms with <b>1 column</b> and a simple layout. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Multi-step forms</b> can lead to<b> 300%</b> more conversions. (<a href="https://www.ventureharbour.com/multi-step-lead-forms-get-300-conversions/" target="_blank">Venture Harbour</a>)</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Takeaway</b>: break down long forms into <b>multi-step pages </b>to simplify the experience and keep users engaged. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW6bjKvRNoojK6_Rl_DqLtYhmqwixRKYKGMJqlZxWfCRv6pUS0miu9Kf7tYngovj161G4ekWdxYQoWgNh6dtxPuw9QZFzk9SAWYqTbqcyi9d4NxZJcUE06Xbm8COyTu8VCvhkW1touCOqcgZI4J_a9kZJZdDb1Qx_aKfeJZ4QdesPiq6c7xhALUu1/s771/multi-step%20forms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Split long forms to multiple steps to improve conversion rates - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="771" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW6bjKvRNoojK6_Rl_DqLtYhmqwixRKYKGMJqlZxWfCRv6pUS0miu9Kf7tYngovj161G4ekWdxYQoWgNh6dtxPuw9QZFzk9SAWYqTbqcyi9d4NxZJcUE06Xbm8COyTu8VCvhkW1touCOqcgZI4J_a9kZJZdDb1Qx_aKfeJZ4QdesPiq6c7xhALUu1/w640-h390/multi-step%20forms.jpg" title="Split long forms to multiple steps to improve conversion rates - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multi-step forms can improve completion rates</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Takeaway</b><b>:</b> Use the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">foot-in-the-door technique</a>: ask the easy questions first to build trust, and leave the sensitive questions to last (see <a href="https://cxl.com/blog/web-form-optimization/" target="_blank">example</a>).</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">What form fields cause the highest drop rates?</h2><div>Every field you add to a form reduces the conversion rate. </div><div>Here's a breakdown of the negative impact each field creates: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Phone number: <b>-5%</b> in total conversion rate</li><li>Street address: <b>-4% </b>in total conversion rate</li><li>Date of birth: <b>-3%</b> in total conversion rate</li><li>City & State: <b>-2%</b> in total conversion rate</li></ul><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12il3lpmEt2ici1lfQGQhfcMGHQfbOqBzOdfq2kH3dtGry2uFpcslq2q-sfBpNUKQJtLNVvcfuPNhdbF7yY7UvECUBqUWptyrmajdCpiXz7j599OR2U7Neg9OAK7sOs2IQ37bDdlq2MDLvlP8yC98C-qS5dqt24ecJWHmePeM9EoroGG4CRR6hzdN/s821/Form%20fields%20impact%20on%20drop%20outs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="what form fields cause the highest drop rates - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="821" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12il3lpmEt2ici1lfQGQhfcMGHQfbOqBzOdfq2kH3dtGry2uFpcslq2q-sfBpNUKQJtLNVvcfuPNhdbF7yY7UvECUBqUWptyrmajdCpiXz7j599OR2U7Neg9OAK7sOs2IQ37bDdlq2MDLvlP8yC98C-qS5dqt24ecJWHmePeM9EoroGG4CRR6hzdN/w640-h424/Form%20fields%20impact%20on%20drop%20outs.jpg" title="what form fields cause the highest drop rates - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Avoid asking for a phone number</b></div><div>According to WPForms, <b>37%</b> of people will abandon a form when asked for a phone number, unless the field is optional. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Asking for the date of birth will cause a drop of an additional 17% compared to the usual drop. (<a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6748/3-form-fields-that-kill-landing-page-conversion-rates.aspx" target="_blank">source</a>) </div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Takeaway</b>: your grandma would have told you it is not polite to ask for people's age...</div><div><br /></div><div><p><b>The CAPTCHA impact: </b></p><p></p><ul><li>Simple CAPTCHAs Have an <b>8%</b> Failure Rate. </li><li>Case-sensitive CAPTCHAs have a whopping <b>29%</b> failure rate</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Including dropdown fields in forms can result in high abandonment rates. (WPForms, 2021)</div><div><b>Takeaway</b>: whenever possible - replace drop downs (2 taps to select) with <b>checkboxes</b> (1 tap to select), but make sure to style them nicely. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><b>Tip</b>: In mobile forms - set the right keyboard for the selected field (numeric, emails, birth date)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GW8wGUnZOKqpAxrChP7nQjZ-DqhqUrGyZRmm-w0NgYWsXtMnojOODMyc22z-wO9UQCItgPpPOhODmg67_gBPzqpy3wPZovugRAY88jWEpZZCl8Ml8Dh6NKUv9yt85g_RZYWJe5sG7YxBqWNn3VYmW7ftXBeVtjLlVgxe1r3g75WCR9sxFH8gQtsE/s1528/mobile%20keyboard%20tip.png"><img alt="Set the right keyboard for the selected field - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1528" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GW8wGUnZOKqpAxrChP7nQjZ-DqhqUrGyZRmm-w0NgYWsXtMnojOODMyc22z-wO9UQCItgPpPOhODmg67_gBPzqpy3wPZovugRAY88jWEpZZCl8Ml8Dh6NKUv9yt85g_RZYWJe5sG7YxBqWNn3VYmW7ftXBeVtjLlVgxe1r3g75WCR9sxFH8gQtsE/w640-h397/mobile%20keyboard%20tip.png" title="Set the right keyboard for the selected field - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Check out the full guide on <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/12/10-usability-rules-keyboard-mobile-app.html" target="_blank">how to handle the on-screen keyboard without messing up usability</a>.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">How do form buttons impact conversion rates?</h2></div><div>3% more people will abandon your form if it uses the word “<b>Submit</b>.”</div><div><br /></div><div>The best-performing CTA button text includes: “Click Here,” “Go,” “Download,” and “Register.” (<a href="https://www.quicksprout.com/contact-form-conversion-rate/?display=wide" target="_blank">Quicksprout</a>)</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Don't</b> use vague, generic words such as <b>submit, enter, access, complete, learn, </b>and<b> read more</b>. </li><li><b>Use</b> strong action-oriented words like <b>get, try, book, download, </b>and<b> register</b>.</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQDSOoamdPISRFahMT8UwvfujO79LlonvkAdMDHymxvkbPOsMojNxozLrtfhDePk6GtdOecjxfnzz9IUAXxKG3JU5mP97lLu7ujl_uZvrguAz3aGzncz7WSIK8iHogXQ-XVDSjjlmGdHeoINqDXqc-jOXROe6m-hnanLsuv1QIlQ2p2jX_fMp8xup/s640/CTA-get%20my%20free%20report.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Use action oriented words in your CTA buttons - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="640" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQDSOoamdPISRFahMT8UwvfujO79LlonvkAdMDHymxvkbPOsMojNxozLrtfhDePk6GtdOecjxfnzz9IUAXxKG3JU5mP97lLu7ujl_uZvrguAz3aGzncz7WSIK8iHogXQ-XVDSjjlmGdHeoINqDXqc-jOXROe6m-hnanLsuv1QIlQ2p2jX_fMp8xup/w640-h388/CTA-get%20my%20free%20report.png" title="Use action oriented words in your CTA buttons - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Tip</b>: check out my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">all-in-one guide to CTA buttons</a>, packed with 30 tips on improving button conversion rates. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tip</b>: check out this <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">collection of 84 cognitive biases that will help you design better-converting products</a>.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Measure every field in your form</b></h2><div>One error in one of Expedia's contact forms cost the company roughly <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/expedia-on-how-one-extra-data-field-can-cost-12m/" target="_blank">$12 million in a single year</a>. </div><div>When we launched <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/10/missbeez-hottest-startup-in-tel-aviv.html" target="_blank">Missbeez</a>, I accidentally used a case-sensitive + auto-complete field in our early access form, resulting in <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/05/the-zombies-are-not-coming.html" target="_blank">most users failing to pass the activation form</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote>You can't predict what's about to go wrong, but you can definitely expect some things to go wrong. </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>This is why you should always be prepared for the worst and measure each and every field in your forms.</div><div>When users or visitors land on your page - you'll have the visibility you need to monitor the performance and discover issues as soon as they occur. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GilBouhnick" target="_blank">@gilbouhnick</a> or subscribe to my occasional <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">newsletter</a> and become 27% more awesome than average.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-87129782048015109172022-12-08T14:18:00.002-08:002022-12-08T15:21:58.116-08:00The good, the bad, and the ugly side of your early adopters [2022 updated]<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4D7GbqhWRZv3_oXgW6dMS9bDpRfOBluoce6nadroHmAHiGEiyXJDnsFmYkmw0LxE1-XRl65C9enWJ2Q6Ue8G-wsgqud_LAqNf5CnClhZeJUpM2hQQKFXYcB-vuF2hkrlkmjNL4TBUe2gok7jnSUCK7uIcFC361bLGbnaOwdfBUt_B5wbIbavBBxx/s982/early%20adopters.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="The good, the bad, and the ugly side of early adopters - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="982" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4D7GbqhWRZv3_oXgW6dMS9bDpRfOBluoce6nadroHmAHiGEiyXJDnsFmYkmw0LxE1-XRl65C9enWJ2Q6Ue8G-wsgqud_LAqNf5CnClhZeJUpM2hQQKFXYcB-vuF2hkrlkmjNL4TBUe2gok7jnSUCK7uIcFC361bLGbnaOwdfBUt_B5wbIbavBBxx/s16000/early%20adopters.jpg" title="The good, the bad, and the ugly side of early adopters - the mobile spoon" /></a><p>As startups building new products, our primary goal is to move <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296" target="_blank">from 0 to 1</a>. </p><p>In the effort to onboard our first customers, we will do whatever is necessary to engage with them, attract them, and turn them into <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2021/01/difference-between-soft-activated-and-hard-activated-users.html" target="_blank">hard-activated users</a>. </p><p>As your product starts to see its first wave of users, it's important to remember that these users are <b>not</b> necessarily your <b>ideal customers</b>. In fact, they probably fall into the category of <b>early adopters</b>, which means they are very different than the majority of users. </p><div><div>
A product cannot exist without early adopters, and yet, it’s crucial to understand how they <b>differ</b> from the rest because you're about to base your next product decisions on their behavior and feedback in your quest for a <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/12/successful-entrepreneurs-share-their.html" target="_blank">product/market fit</a>, and you don't want those decisions to be based on biased information. <br />
<br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">
Let's start with who your early adopters are: </h2>
</div><div><div>According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Rogers">Everett Rogers</a>: early adopters belong to 2 small groups that represent 5%-15% of your customers:</div><div><br /></div></div><div><strong>1. The innovators</strong> (2.5%) - tech enthusiasts who look for innovation.<br />
They are excited about finding new ways of doing things and willing to take some risks and try out new technologies.<br />
<div><strong><br /></strong></div><div>
<strong>2. The early adopters</strong> (13.5%) - influential and thought leaders. </div>
<div>
Those are the visionaries. They are often very active on social media and leave their mark on the market. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="early adopters - diffusion of innovations model" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H9VhmSTYS5o/XFy5mLyWfpI/AAAAAAAAPdA/tqp5h8otoxYa0zwf2SrxTEIyI2dcsmT8wCHMYCw/w640-h266/%255BUNSET%255D" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="early adopters - diffusion of innovations model" width="640" /></div><div><br /></div>
I relate to both groups as “early adopters” because they have a lot in common:<br />
<ul>
<li>They have a high social status </li>
<li>They feel comfortable spending money on new technologies </li>
<li>They feel comfortable using early-stage (half-baked) products</li></ul><div>Early adopters are the first to download your app when it's half-baked, the first developers to embed your SDK when it's not yet scalable, the ones who bought the first iPhone when it was compared to a piece of stone, the first ones to buy Bitcoin, use their Bored Ape as their Twitter avatar, and buy a username with <a href="https://ens.domains/" target="_blank">Ethereum Name Service</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">What characteristics do early adopters have? </h3><div>And how do they differ from the majority of users? </div><div><br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Early adopters are less sensitive to product limitations and bugs </h2>
Because they often use products in their early stages, early adopters are more tolerant of product limitations and hiccups.</div><div><br />
Early <b>Pebble</b> (RIP) customers were willing to compromise on functionality and design aesthetics in order to be the first to own a smartwatch. I did the same thing with the <a href="http://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/01/i-miss-2-gadgets-design-unique.html" target="_blank" title="Wearables and mobile">Microsoft Band</a>, knowing that I’m getting an experimental (and very limited) wearable, but I was anxious to explore it. The same goes for <b>foldable smartphones</b> that are definitely cool but heavy, <b>uncomfortable</b> as phones, and half-baked as tablets. </div><div><br /></div><div>Similarly, early crypto adopters had to deal with clunky workflows and techy challenges to hold some bitcoins, but they were willing to do so because they saw potential.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are all doing it these days with <a href="https://openai.com/" target="_blank">OpenAI</a>'s <a href="https://openai.com/dall-e-2/" target="_blank">DALL-E</a> and <a href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/" target="_blank">ChatGPT</a>.</div><div><br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="A limited MVP might be enough for the early adopters but the mass market usually has higher expectations." height="333" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HZxftxtjmlE/XF1TOgAoCNI/AAAAAAAAPdQ/hW7K1uVg2GYjfNShuRpszgHiMetzD5zugCHMYCw/w640-h333/%255BUNSET%255D" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="A limited MVP might be enough for the early adopters but the mass market usually has higher expectations." width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A limited MVP might be enough for the early adopters but the mass market usually has higher expectations</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div>The feedback from your early adopters might make you think your poorly designed MVP is ready for prime time, but beware: the mass market isn't as forgiving as your early adopters. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote>The mass market isn't as forgiving as your early adopters.</blockquote></div><div>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Early adopters are less sensitive to the price</h2>
Buying the latest and greatest is an expensive hobby. </div><div>I'll pay $800 every year to get the latest <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-watch" target="_blank">Apple Watch Ultra</a> just so I can brag about it and explore the latest sensors. </div><div><br /></div><div>Early crypto adopters paid outrageous transaction fees, and early NFT enthusiasts spent millions on owning the <a href="https://sensoriumxr.com/articles/most-expensive-nft-sales" target="_blank">most famous NFTs</a> out there.</div><div><br /></div><div>
<img alt="early adopters are tech savvies and less sensitive to price" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pE4tjN0wD6g/XFtq3Ng_lGI/AAAAAAAAPcs/D6IqhkoOiSA9clr5RcIvruP1gM4rOZncACHMYCw/s5000/%255BUNSET%255D" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="early adopters are tech savvies and less sensitive to price" width="790" /><br /><br /></div><div>Early adopters are willing to pay this price in order to maintain their unique thought leadership position and keep exploring new innovations. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now, this may lead you to think your pricing works, while the majority of users might think it's not. You're going to find it out when you scale.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Early adopters are often biased</h2><div>Early users often come from inner circles such as friends, family, and company stakeholders. That can lead to <b>over-positive feedback</b>, resulting in a <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">confirmation bias</a>. </div></div><div><br />
Other early users are either entrepreneurs like yourself, tech-savvies, or power-users that may not represent the majority of customers: they often seek innovation and knowledge rather than <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/07/product-led-growth-guide-product-managers.html" target="_blank">benefits</a> and <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/03/7-unique-ingredients-mobile-app.html" target="_blank">ease of use</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>In extreme cases (and I've witnessed that more than once), they might even ask for more sophisticated features that add complexity to the product instead of simplifying it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The result? Bad product decisions are based on biased feedback and too much focus on product features that are not on your critical path. <br /><br /><br /><img height="426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d_paAqhlWco/XF1UFtzDpvI/AAAAAAAAPdY/wt3LmZpeQJAHs5wtGaVvyNILbeM-smJ1ACHMYCw/w640-h426/%255BUNSET%255D" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Early adopters generate better KPIs</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">So you've launched your product and the first users are using it. Now you start tracking everything they do and produce your first product KPI reports - but be careful, as those KPIs might be a little bit too optimistic. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">4.1. Higher conversion rates </h3>
Early staged products are packed with issues: limitations, bugs, and unpolished onboarding, but early adopters are keen to try out new things. They'll find their way around occasional hiccups and product limitations and invest more effort to try out the product than regular users would ever do. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote>While they are experimenting with your product, you might think they are adopting it</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>
The result is an <strong>over-positive</strong> conversion rate that doesn’t necessarily represent future performance. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, I've witnessed cases where early & clunky product versions had better conversion rates than late versions with superior UX. </div><div><br />
<h3>4.2. Better retention rates </h3><div>To maintain their unique leadership status, early adopters will keep using new products even if they suffer from immaturity issues like limited functionality, bugs, and high costs. </div><div><br /></div><div>This typically leads to a higher <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/cohort-analysis-retention-rate.html" target="_blank">retention rate</a> for the first few cohorts, something that cannot be matched with larger cohorts at a later stage.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">4.3. Lower acquisition costs</h3><div>Early adopters are vocal and active on social media. They'll <b>share</b> your product with their followers, promote <b>themselves</b> using it, and <b>brag</b> about it as a status symbol that would preserve their influencer status (check out Twitter avatars in the past 1-2 years to witness that phenomenon).</div><div><br /></div><div>This behavior brings more <b>organic users</b> and lowers acquisition costs, but as you scale, later-stage users will not create this viral effect. The average number of organic users per paid will decrease and the CAC will go up. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The above 3 metrics are dramatic when calculating LTV and unit economics. </div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2>Tips for working with early adopters</h2>
<div><div>Here are some points that might help during the early adoption stage: </div></div>
<div>
</div>
<ol>
<li>Understand the differences between early adopters and the majority of the users </li>
<li>Identify and mark down the first <strong>cohorts</strong> in order to later separate them from the rest of the cohorts (user segmentation is key. here's a short guide about <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/06/prepare-your-data-for-user-segmentation-startups.html" target="_blank">how to prepare your data for user segmentation</a>). </li>
<li>Treat the early adopters as an <b>asset.</b> Embrace their feedback, but take it with a <b>grain of salt</b></li>
<li>They are motivated to share their feedback, but <b>they represent a very small group compared to the mass market</b> </li>
<li>Measure measure measure - <a href="http://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/04/5-things-i-learned-in-transition-from.html" target="_blank" title="numbers represent behavior">numbers represent behavior </a>and that’s much stronger than words </li>
<li>When measuring - <strong>distinguish</strong> between early cohorts with later cohorts</li>
<li>Later cohorts are the ones you should <strong>focus</strong> on, to validate the product assumptions with, calculate retention, LTV, and unit economics</li>
<li>Always be doubtful about your product/market fit even if the business grows nicely and the early adopters are providing positive feedback. Expect more problems to come at a later stage when the majority of users come - they are slower to adopt new products and harder to convert</li>
<li>Validate your assumptions with non-early adopters: what might be enough for early adopters, will probably not be good enough for the mass market</li><li>Don't commit to your early adopters too early. You might want to change priorities when mainstream users join, and you don't want to be stuck with the wrong commitments. </li></ol><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Can't get enough? Check out these links: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">The all-in-one guide to creating high-converting CTA buttons</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/07/product-led-growth-guide-product-managers.html" target="_blank">Product-led growth - the pocket guide every product person should read</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/12/product-decisions-tradeoffs-game.html" target="_blank">Here’s to trade-offs and compromises. Your product‘s best friends</a></li></ul></div>
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Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GilBouhnick" target="_blank" title="Gil Bouhnick on twitter">@gilbouhnick</a> or <a href="https://mailchi.mp/b9c664dfafa3/mobilespoon" target="_blank" title="The mobile spoon - mailing list">subscribe to the Mobile Spoon newsletter</a> to get my occasional blogs directly to your inbox.</div>
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-33303415719638780032022-12-05T14:34:00.000-08:002022-12-05T14:34:41.796-08:00How to start your competitor research - the product management guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcHyU-EEgHNAL0PyHCFrQASKBjSwODvdqd5kPoTincweketgE6DgtTf81loJbd-UEvGiksYmCAVCCzwZZhBk34ao4KYbHCPB17HBmmYBLdzQsVFlpiwEi4i5gX8gOuBg6eZTHURFEbJVrF1aFMyyrD98k2VBvGlcwISUBAMzUf5UfpfTE-xvJq-ZL/s588/competitive%20research.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Product competitive research - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcHyU-EEgHNAL0PyHCFrQASKBjSwODvdqd5kPoTincweketgE6DgtTf81loJbd-UEvGiksYmCAVCCzwZZhBk34ao4KYbHCPB17HBmmYBLdzQsVFlpiwEi4i5gX8gOuBg6eZTHURFEbJVrF1aFMyyrD98k2VBvGlcwISUBAMzUf5UfpfTE-xvJq-ZL/s16000/competitive%20research.jpg" title="Product competitive research - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>As an entrepreneur or a product manager you must learn the business you're operating in and map the market pains, expectations, and trends. </p><p>In a <b>competitive</b> market, you need to know what your <b>competitors</b> are doing. Where do they shine and which areas they are struggling with. This will help you decide on the right product strategy and identify gaps (or opportunities) in your product and go-to-market strategy. </p><p>I wrote this short guide to help you <b>get started</b> with your <b>competitor research. </b></p><p>It will focus on identifying your competitors, exploring their products, and gathering the intel you need for building your market understanding. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">1. Identify main competitors </h3><p>First things first, whether you are new at your job or starting a new company, you need to identify <b>who are you competing with</b>, direct and indirect. </p><p><b>Search</b> your product or service <b>category</b> on the web and see what <b>ads</b> and search <b>results</b> come up. </p><p>Repeat this step with <b>different terms </b>and<b> keywords</b> relevant to your business and collect the names that come up. Wrap up this step by searching each competitor <b>separately</b> - this will often bring up <b>ads</b> by <b>additional competitors</b>. </p><p><b>Explore</b> each company <b>in depth</b>: what’s their main <b>message</b>? How do they <b>position</b> themselves? What <b>products</b> do they sell? In what <b>markets</b> do they operate? who are their <b>customers</b>? </p><p></p><p>When you're done, try those <b>additional techniques</b> to discover <b>more competitors</b>: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Market research by analyst firms such as <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en" target="_blank">Gartner</a></li><li><a href="https://alternativeto.net/" target="_blank">AltetnativeTo.net</a> - provides alternatives to existing products</li><li><a href="http://www.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a> - look for previous questions that might help you find alternative solutions/vendors </li><li>App Store - this is one of my favorites: if your competitors have mobile apps - check out the “<b>You might also like</b>” section at the bottom of their product page which usually includes similar products you didn’t hear about. This is a great way to find more similar products. </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Check them out on Crunchbase </h3><p>Now that you have the list, it's time to deep dive and explore <b>each of your competitors</b>. </p><p><a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/" target="_blank">Crunchbase</a> is a great place to start: who <b>founded</b> those companies? How much <b>money</b> did they <b>raise</b>? Did they make significant <b>acquisitions</b>? You can find <b>press releases</b>, key <b>milestones</b>, <b>technology</b> info, website <b>traffic</b> details, and more. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. Experience their product as a customer</h3><p>Install your competitors’ products (if it’s mobile) and sign-up (if it’s web). </p><p>Explore them in depth and take <b>screenshots</b> of every step in the way - onboarding, key modules, features, workflows, confirmation emails, push notifications, everything!</p><p>Save those screenshots in a dedicated <b>repository</b> that will serve you as a future reference. </p><p>If you cannot access some of those products - search for <b>demos</b> on youtube. Google image search can also bring up some <b>product screenshots</b>.</p><p>This exercise will help you <b>identify good practices</b> to adopt, <b>bad practices</b> to avoid, <b>strengths/weaknesses</b>, common <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/boss-obsessed-terminology.html" target="_blank">terminology</a>, etc. It will also help you <b>categorize</b> each competitor.</p><p>If your competitors have mobile apps, check the <b>App Store</b> and <b>Google Play</b> for their <b>ranking</b>, <b>downloads</b> number, <b>reviews</b>, and <b>version history</b>: check how often do they <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/12/the-advantages-of-frequent-shipping.html" target="_blank">ship a new version</a>? How <b>old</b> is their app and how <b>popular</b> is it? </p><p>Also, as mentioned above - make sure to check <b>similar products</b> by visiting the similar apps section. </p><p>Completing this step will bring you most of the product-oriented information you need for your competitors' research. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Explore your competitors' online and social activities </h3><p>Online monitoring is a common spying technique for <b>marketers</b>, but it can also be useful for <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/12/be-better-product-manager.html" target="_blank">product managers</a> and entrepreneurs; now that you have a list of competitors - follow them on <b>social media</b>, watch their <b>videos</b>, read their <b>blog posts</b>, subscribe to their <b>newsletters</b>, and use <b>Google Alerts</b> to monitor them online. </p><p>Find out where they <b>hang out</b>. How many <b>followers</b> do they have on each platform? What type of <b>content</b> they are publishing and what seems to be working well for them? </p><p>Focus on how they tell their <b>stories</b>, present their product <b>benefits</b>, the content they <b>promote</b>, and the <b>media</b> they use. </p><p>There are also plenty of marketing-oriented tools such as <a href="https://brand24.com/" target="_blank">Brand24</a>, <a href="https://www.semrush.com/lp/sem/en/" target="_blank">SEMrush</a>, SimilarWeb, <a href="https://www.spyfu.com/" target="_blank">SpyFu</a>, <a href="https://buzzsumo.com/" target="_blank">BuzzSumo</a>, and <a href="https://www.owletter.com/" target="_blank">Owletter</a> - they provide various capabilities from SEO tracking, keywords ranking, content published, emails sent, and much more. These are generally part of the marketing stack, but can also be helpful in your product research.</p><p>This <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/competitive-analysis-on-social-media/" target="_blank">article</a> includes some good examples and useful tools for spying on your competitors on social media.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">5. Track online reviews </h3><p>As a product person, you know how valuable <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/10/developing-reliable-rating-system.html" target="_blank">customer feedback</a> is. </p><p>Luckily, there are plenty of customer review sites such as <a href="https://www.capterra.com/" target="_blank">Capterra</a> and <a href="https://www.trustpilot.com/" target="_blank">TrustPilot</a> that share those reviews publicly, so you can find out what your competitors’ users <b>really think about them</b>. </p><p>What are their <b>strengths</b> and <b>weaknesses</b>? What <b>benefits</b> do users mostly brag about? What’s still missing that users often <b>complain</b> about? </p><p>This information is definitely <b>juicy</b>, but it can also shed light on what's working well and what's not.</p><p>You can later use this information when you talk with potential customers or when making product decisions. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">6. Pricing and packaging</h3><p>Explore your competitors’ <b>pricing</b> models.</p><p>What’s the cost? What’s the pricing model? What other <b>perks</b> are they offer? </p><p>It’s important to know what you are competing with, and what alternatives you should consider. This exercise can also <b>validate</b> some of your <b>revenue assumptions</b> if your product is not selling yet. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">7. Technology stack</h3><p>One way to figure out which software your competitors use is to use <a href="https://builtwith.com/" target="_blank">Built With</a>, an effective tool for unveiling all technological components implemented in a website or web app. </p><p>Another way to understand their technology stack is to explore their<b> job listings</b>, particularly for <b>software development</b> roles. You can also look for their <b>employees</b> on <b>LinkedIn</b>, where people usually mention the <b>technologies</b> they work with. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">8. LinkedIn </h3><p>Speaking of LinkedIn, it’s really a great place to learn so much about each competitor. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Find <b>employees</b> and see what they’re up to</li><li>Learn about the <b>culture</b> of your competitors </li><li>Estimate the <b>size</b> of each company, key people, and <b>roles</b></li><li>Find <b>former employees</b> that could potentially give you <b>inside information</b> or help you in other creative ways</li><li><b>Hire former</b> employees of your competitors - this one is like getting two for one: you get to hire someone that is experienced in your niche, and has inside information about your competitors</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Wrapping up</h3><p>Of course, this list is only the <b>beginning</b>. Next, you'll need to take your research to the next level and perform a full <b>competitive analysis </b>using frameworks such as SWOT to further assess your position in the market and identify risks and opportunities, but I'll leave that for another post. </p><p><br /></p><p>Before you drop off, check out <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/best.html" target="_blank">the best of the mobile spoon</a> and make sure to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to my occasional newsletter and become 23% more awesome than average.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-53561954609117903292022-11-24T03:20:00.002-08:002022-11-24T03:26:27.456-08:006 useful websites for downloading free illustrations<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8dmTGScl_0UEh3cE57Qm0tgaJkL8ryPw-dwi6Pttn3fr8J4dYgsYol1d4Bt4bzLHXuWroD0IiwJwQ0VYcvtdvk34BVAIxO5HO1jrF8qs_WE-F5ZarJDhsWV7s7KOUIpo9x4qLLW3_xNjUqiHJEIqITT1x7_oZHq81IagsJEBq_HbzTIQz0lxFHaV/s2000/Designer%20girl-cuate.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8dmTGScl_0UEh3cE57Qm0tgaJkL8ryPw-dwi6Pttn3fr8J4dYgsYol1d4Bt4bzLHXuWroD0IiwJwQ0VYcvtdvk34BVAIxO5HO1jrF8qs_WE-F5ZarJDhsWV7s7KOUIpo9x4qLLW3_xNjUqiHJEIqITT1x7_oZHq81IagsJEBq_HbzTIQz0lxFHaV/s16000/Designer%20girl-cuate.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">Work illustrations by Storyset</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>They say a good illustration can really boost your presentations, websites, or products. </p><p>So here's a handy list of websites where you can download illustrations for free:</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Undraw</h2><div>I typically start any visual search with Undraw. There are a lot of illustrations there, with a very consistent look and feel. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4yKugIwdgBuyWMY38_6au2ctyYEZgFIwoS4Ip0vp-qK0RcI8JVAIZKrDi6Kxtz0y0kGP9kAxksfVGoLXHla11wZnqKY1b5ylGaPmHFzitYfsqTHjh3-xLgZ75xEIWRcaqHeL1-_2cvl-Gd0lQAmiYzrX71wNm4yWD-PaAhP0jTHzJRaF3MA2LFRu/s1156/Undraw%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Undraw - free illustrations" border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1156" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4yKugIwdgBuyWMY38_6au2ctyYEZgFIwoS4Ip0vp-qK0RcI8JVAIZKrDi6Kxtz0y0kGP9kAxksfVGoLXHla11wZnqKY1b5ylGaPmHFzitYfsqTHjh3-xLgZ75xEIWRcaqHeL1-_2cvl-Gd0lQAmiYzrX71wNm4yWD-PaAhP0jTHzJRaF3MA2LFRu/w640-h373/Undraw%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" title="Undraw - free illustrations" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I love the way those illustrations can be customized using the color picker. <br />For advanced customizations, I sometimes download the illustration as an SVG file and modify portions of it in <a href="https://www.figma.com/" target="_blank">Figma</a>. </p><p>The only problem with Undraw is that it became too popular and widely used by way too many products and websites... </p><p>Link: <a href="https://undraw.co/illustrations">https://undraw.co/illustrations</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Storyset</h2><p>An awesome collection of free customizable illustrations that can fit products, websites, and presentations. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RuTGNuSZm-V_7q9Y8LcTPB4C8HsrgESpDITWcFAWPFRitfCNUwJsHJxWKAubXrXOKZtkhzNSeJfyVvdBoPkePWfntcfEndFc6Hh2W80Zhs4bKNkXIVUrxyMdoQ-ko-E1CSO2Md773vlvfBPLRITY-wdVvt7dIuBR1V2TqgDY7ALXcqs9rmr7AyvP/s1156/Storyset%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="1156" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RuTGNuSZm-V_7q9Y8LcTPB4C8HsrgESpDITWcFAWPFRitfCNUwJsHJxWKAubXrXOKZtkhzNSeJfyVvdBoPkePWfntcfEndFc6Hh2W80Zhs4bKNkXIVUrxyMdoQ-ko-E1CSO2Md773vlvfBPLRITY-wdVvt7dIuBR1V2TqgDY7ALXcqs9rmr7AyvP/w640-h306/Storyset%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The search works good, and there are a few customization options around colors and backgrounds. </p><p>You can download the illustrations as PNG or SVG in case you want to further modify them with Figma. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://storyset.com/">https://storyset.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Ouch</h2><p>A great source for illustrations of different styles: flat, 3D, colorful, animated, etc. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmpGye4naEkwqQX9Si9T4tDbMlIBPplQjAWYOLfpApXPGMQXlm51zrjGCyqxbXhcAHxTV724C0VEw6wuZW0_1DYZ1Sp7MngBmh--scAnQnAN23C7emao2z7HNyswjtz6k2goZB-Y4peOGW-LpmQW5-g_SQVSg0iYng-V1cZHgkADFn10Jw9XqjVBR/s1156/Ouch%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ouch - free illustrations" border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1156" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmpGye4naEkwqQX9Si9T4tDbMlIBPplQjAWYOLfpApXPGMQXlm51zrjGCyqxbXhcAHxTV724C0VEw6wuZW0_1DYZ1Sp7MngBmh--scAnQnAN23C7emao2z7HNyswjtz6k2goZB-Y4peOGW-LpmQW5-g_SQVSg0iYng-V1cZHgkADFn10Jw9XqjVBR/w640-h352/Ouch%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" title="Ouch - free illustrations" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>If you are looking to get inspired by different styles or interested in certain types of illustrations - good chance you'll find them here. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://icons8.com/illustrations">https://icons8.com/illustrations</a></p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. DrawKit</h2><p>The Drawkit website offers many free hand-drawn vector illustrations that can give you creative ideas for your app, website, or presentation. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.drawkit.com/">https://www.drawkit.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Open Doodles</h2><p>Open Doodles is a free set of open-source illustrations. If you like Pablo Stanly's hand-drawn style - you can find a lot of interesting human positions that can be used in presentations or in your products. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v7km9mz3mL5VxR97YchiIlnWiLiAFiJQwlMIiYjzDYK-NdBZTlKPni93SqiT5CwrcMkkAa-69G19qKCkySz5Yz2Vw28K_-Zg1gv12vzUUJ1VfcE3vDlF2JxaVKJxN73HQKhjax3bYCDdiVeyZCYTpG_fYUG1FbVmUJT7KPqdQR2V-pDEPId-Bz4r/s1156/Open%20Doodles%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Open Doodles - free illustrations" border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="1156" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v7km9mz3mL5VxR97YchiIlnWiLiAFiJQwlMIiYjzDYK-NdBZTlKPni93SqiT5CwrcMkkAa-69G19qKCkySz5Yz2Vw28K_-Zg1gv12vzUUJ1VfcE3vDlF2JxaVKJxN73HQKhjax3bYCDdiVeyZCYTpG_fYUG1FbVmUJT7KPqdQR2V-pDEPId-Bz4r/w640-h300/Open%20Doodles%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" title="Open Doodles - free illustrations" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The illustrations can be downloaded for free as PNG or SVG files. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.opendoodles.com/">https://www.opendoodles.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">6. Open Peeps</h2><p>Another hand-drawn illustration library with tons of illustrated characters. <br />You can download all the resources to your computer, or simply download specific characters as needed. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9euvdpA3stam26K62F_vpjhHtDnNq7Zlv1OhXjV3V-8cWcF_C6b3dTh_CzfK-oxRsealaZpsHHz1d0og4mAYs2Pf0OZhT_2lwbB60Ms1Zk4w1o9JqFbvtBtDm5qNItdGkGQDyOgorRxYQQXcf-a631qBLzUVETKa3Bp-RxecRy136rUJabPX6VOv/s1156/Open%20Peeps%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Open Peeps - free illustrations" border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1156" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9euvdpA3stam26K62F_vpjhHtDnNq7Zlv1OhXjV3V-8cWcF_C6b3dTh_CzfK-oxRsealaZpsHHz1d0og4mAYs2Pf0OZhT_2lwbB60Ms1Zk4w1o9JqFbvtBtDm5qNItdGkGQDyOgorRxYQQXcf-a631qBLzUVETKa3Bp-RxecRy136rUJabPX6VOv/w640-h388/Open%20Peeps%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" title="Open Peeps - free illustrations" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>For the designers out there - downloading all the resources will let you mix & match different components to create your own characters. Funky. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://openpeeps.com/">https://openpeeps.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>- - - - </p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one. Be sure to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> (I never spam) and become 23% more awesome than average.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-79857875986737036952022-11-22T14:28:00.005-08:002022-11-23T02:21:42.577-08:00Managers, here's why you should have a strong number 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWgOMyuXJlYOrPM9fq8nF_xJnpwiLT19M8d94zhAA-91kDJSo9jUVrmULgYFZT1aNE7TDbuWEvJUxudX5wr3IHx_6b16f0-QhQSlLpaykyOnFbB0voM_GIe1wkV_IXa61Fj0a-gM64eda7IhuunzuQFQrv9xszjLi0c55INiFlu8w17FxrCdRjWJQ/s1392/Number%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Having a strong number 2 - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWgOMyuXJlYOrPM9fq8nF_xJnpwiLT19M8d94zhAA-91kDJSo9jUVrmULgYFZT1aNE7TDbuWEvJUxudX5wr3IHx_6b16f0-QhQSlLpaykyOnFbB0voM_GIe1wkV_IXa61Fj0a-gM64eda7IhuunzuQFQrv9xszjLi0c55INiFlu8w17FxrCdRjWJQ/s16000/Number%202.png" title="Having a strong number 2 - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I was watching Argentina in the world cup today, and heard the commentators talk about the key role of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81ngel_Di_Mar%C3%ADa" target="_blank">Ángel Di María</a> as Messi's number 2. It reminded me of the importance of having a strong "deputy" in the team, for any manager out there. </p><p>I often talk about it when I coach young managers and entrepreneurs. Everyone knows how important it is to hire A-players but most managers don't fully understand the amazing benefits of having a key team member acting as a number 2. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>Think about Michael Jordan without Scottie Pippen</blockquote><p></p><p>My best performing years as a manager were when I had a top-performing “number 2”. My typical number 2’s had stronger technical skills than I did, and used to take over the backend/infrastructure stuff, allowing me to focus on the business/<a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/search/label/Product%20Management" target="_blank">product</a>/<a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/search/label/User%20Interface" target="_blank">front end</a>. They were not always the most experienced individuals on the team, but they were the best, and always earned their authority and respect due to their extraordinary professionalism and work ethics.</p><p><br /></p><p>Your number 2 must be better than you in enough areas to complete you. They should be able to handle multiple tasks in a high-pressure environment and must be 100% behind you, as the leader of the team, and fully aligned with the mission and team culture. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Advantages of having a strong number 2 in your team</h2><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">1. A strong number 2 strengthens your professional & leadership skills</h3><p>Different team member brings different skills into the mix, but with a strong number 2 that acts as your sidekick - those skills blend with YOUR leadership skills. </p><p>Together, you form a stronger leadership "entity" that usually outperforms the things you could do as a single manager. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. When things get tough - you have a go-to person </h3><p>As you grow as a leader/manager, you run into different challenges - more than you could handle on your own. Not everything can be delegated to the team members, but that's exactly where your number 2 gets into the picture. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>Jordan could always pass the ball to Pippen, knowing he will not mess up. </blockquote><p></p><p>You need someone you can trust blindly, at any given day and time, no matter how bad things get. </p><p>Having a number 2 in these situations is a game-changer. </p><p>This person needs to be strong enough to handle various and often unfamiliar challenges simultaneously - just like you do. This person also needs to be cool with this kind of work, where things are often urgent and not always planned. Oh, and most importantly, this person needs to be aware of this unique status in the team, I'll talk more about it later. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. Set the tone in your team's culture </h3><p>As your team grows, it gets harder to maintain the same culture; new team members often change the team dynamics, sometimes not for the better. </p><p>I’m sure many managers recognize this, as they witness the culture they shaped, slowly vanish and change. It happens to development teams, product teams, and can also happen at executive levels. </p><p>But...</p><p>When you and your number 2 share the same work style and act as role models - you create a <b>critical mass</b> that is very hard to outweigh. It's like having both parents fully aligned, setting the tone for the rest of the family. </p><p>When the manager and his talented deputy lead the way, rest assured the rest of the team will follow. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Have a potential successor</h3><p>It's OK to think ahead and get prepared for your next role. When the time comes, your number 2 will be a great candidate to take over and lead the team. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Finding the right number 2</h2><p>Your number 2 must be someone you trust 100% and feel comfortable with, just like a friend, so don't rush into it and take your time to carefully pick the right person for the job. </p><p>They must have strong professional and interpersonal skills, because they will need to lead and manage many threads, and authority counts. </p><p>You and your number 2 will have to maintain an unwritten contract, where they work harder, take more responsibility and in return - enjoy a unique status in the team. </p><p>They need to be willing to take on this role which is very demanding and not always rewarding. The people I used to work with as my number 2's had this rare ego-less character, and they felt comfortable with their position as number 2 and not number 1.</p><p>In business, like in sports - hierarchy is essential, and so is transparency. Other team members will need to understand the "unwritten" hierarchy and be OK with it. </p><p><br /></p><p>Before you drop off, make sure to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-61767734961135266952022-10-19T05:48:00.000-07:002023-06-25T23:52:54.757-07:00Too many screenshots? Here's a shortcut that will help you manage them better<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINeueKYJlf5Pmo18G68Oz288Ls2NDSg_BDP_QtgWMQFu13E3y1r9F7LizWk06KawzRoDG2Y88KWhxB-PLUklalRu2Z1aQBQhVjFjOlAHpXj2kqlIYqeOibnHIJXxT_hgUEMI51nNdx_lmbEIQ3sEZ26t02Typxl3SlkACayumhKtSD5izPl1rbbIO/s1302/save%20screenshots%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Save your screenshots to a dedicated album - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINeueKYJlf5Pmo18G68Oz288Ls2NDSg_BDP_QtgWMQFu13E3y1r9F7LizWk06KawzRoDG2Y88KWhxB-PLUklalRu2Z1aQBQhVjFjOlAHpXj2kqlIYqeOibnHIJXxT_hgUEMI51nNdx_lmbEIQ3sEZ26t02Typxl3SlkACayumhKtSD5izPl1rbbIO/s16000/save%20screenshots%20-%20the%20mobile%20spoon.jpg" title="Save your screenshots to a dedicated album - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><br /><p>This one started as a grumbling tweet after wasting my morning coffee break cleaning up over 7,500 screenshots from my iPhone photos library. </p><p>Took me a while to realize I'm facing a real problem: </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZykSlF9mxDQugn8ZfzWfGu3vf2MeYrWbuEqKMlfbSshOcwarkuN2PWadxy5kVTQ3Pxjh8PqVCbW8KUq2FvLuz8zXdagoEX2e-EU3T5IFtkACvcMZNgX1KZjA0my9YLkWkQyCB_YeZ9EaJcvFKBhomHH87pPmmkp8SzN8pAmJYvY1AyWav2Zvyo1vF/s666/tweet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="666" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZykSlF9mxDQugn8ZfzWfGu3vf2MeYrWbuEqKMlfbSshOcwarkuN2PWadxy5kVTQ3Pxjh8PqVCbW8KUq2FvLuz8zXdagoEX2e-EU3T5IFtkACvcMZNgX1KZjA0my9YLkWkQyCB_YeZ9EaJcvFKBhomHH87pPmmkp8SzN8pAmJYvY1AyWav2Zvyo1vF/w640-h352/tweet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The comments I got for the tweet and a short Google Search made me realize more people suffer from bad screenshots management on iPhones. </p><p>It was the evidence that this is a real pain that needs to be solved once and for all!</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Situation: too many screenshots</h2><p>I take iPhone screenshots all the time for many reasons: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Exploring products or <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/12/how-to-start-your-competitor-research.html" target="_blank">researching competing apps</a> </li><li>When opening bugs and sending them to my team</li><li>Sharing funny chat moments with friends</li><li>Catching unique FaceTime moments</li><li>Funny moments taken from videos </li><li>Many more... </li></ul><p></p><p>The result? Close to 10,000 screenshots on my iPhone... </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Problem: no easy way to clean up my screenshots</h2><p>Apple made it easy to see all screenshots in a “Screenshots” album - but the album is overflowed with all kinds of screenshots, so, it’s basically impossible to "delete all" without going over all of them manually. </p><p>Some screenshots are temporary (like bugs I already opened and shared with my team) and some are important (like FaceTime moments with my mom). </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Enter this cool little shortcut: </h2><p>How about an iOS shortcut that can be used directly from the screen capture screen, and allows you to move the recently taken screenshot to a dedicated album? </p><p>Yeah, that’s right! </p><p>After failing to find a proper tagging solution (photo tags exist on Mac, but there's no easy way to tag photos on iOS), I decided to go with the album's approach. </p><p>This screenshot grabs the screenshot and moves it to a designated album: Screenshot to keep vs. temporary ones. </p><p>This doesn't prevent them from appearing in the "recent" album (this behavior can't be changed) - but it puts those images in an album of your choice which makes it easier to delete them later. </p><p>I created a few variants of this shortcut: </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/b17aed44db3c4e1aa326f8bf0e351bb9" target="_blank">Save screenshot to</a>... (opens a few options)</li><li><a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/7caa75f8a89240e69e9bcc0e65deada0" target="_blank">Save to Temp Screenshots</a> (always saves to this album)</li><li><a href="https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/bf9bfebdda7c4e2283b16bc1e35e5ec5" target="_blank">Save to Ideas Album</a> (always saves to this album)</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa8ff9KS86riql7-KwMV5NLPK_n_QLxdFIT4Mh3SF3sUcgr89ix2lxGYgq0hbqto27aNlUoNoLzlShP0Oh7wukNMKkPRLbGxALahvC1bAqsPYWQbpVdP19aD3rE8Q4xEsCK3CQcI-ie6eewTmt2JVg71wipup5IaG5gmwvk2OFVxlefqz1JYQM7It/s1371/Shortcuts%20Manager.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Save shortcut to a dedicated album - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1371" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa8ff9KS86riql7-KwMV5NLPK_n_QLxdFIT4Mh3SF3sUcgr89ix2lxGYgq0hbqto27aNlUoNoLzlShP0Oh7wukNMKkPRLbGxALahvC1bAqsPYWQbpVdP19aD3rE8Q4xEsCK3CQcI-ie6eewTmt2JVg71wipup5IaG5gmwvk2OFVxlefqz1JYQM7It/w640-h404/Shortcuts%20Manager.jpg" title="Save shortcut to a dedicated album - the mobile spoon" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">How to use: </h2><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Take a screenshot</li><li>Click on the share button </li><li>Select '<b>Save to Temp Screenshots</b>' (if you can't find it - scroll down and manage your shortcuts)</li><li>See configuration popup</li><li>Close shortcut (no need to save, because the shortcut already saved it) </li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-24100342884697984812022-09-15T00:55:00.005-07:002022-12-20T07:03:21.747-08:005 Figma plugins I use every day<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvU9ULkLCaj7sW3jK6Dv5g6hteb8pF0bCLCl59LYTZNrFJZP2h4POq77l30F6cNnOpwWowCJchFMaguYNHl9eDfRAL2GwoeeZFpNS88VoG9uhgJERqEVYMX7wE_VuvPGEGi-Gw2AFRifncclNy-R9jMDZV5JDigFA-q0PAePrlxaeBgOzywMB3D4V/s1920/5%20figma%20plugins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 must have Figma plugins - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvU9ULkLCaj7sW3jK6Dv5g6hteb8pF0bCLCl59LYTZNrFJZP2h4POq77l30F6cNnOpwWowCJchFMaguYNHl9eDfRAL2GwoeeZFpNS88VoG9uhgJERqEVYMX7wE_VuvPGEGi-Gw2AFRifncclNy-R9jMDZV5JDigFA-q0PAePrlxaeBgOzywMB3D4V/s16000/5%20figma%20plugins.jpg" title="5 must have Figma plugins - The Mobile Spoon" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Figma is my favorite tool for creating mockups, editing presentation visuals, blog images, and much more. </p><p>This product is a <b>masterpiece</b>, and yet, there are a few plugins that I cannot live without. </p><p>Here are 5 Figma plugins I use every day: </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Iconify</h2><p>This is by far my most popular plugin, it has an icon for every topic you can possibly think of. Just search for the word and get tons of relevant results. Pick one, set the color and you're set. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/735098390272716381/Iconify" target="_blank">Iconify plugin for Figma</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI135m3eESwGKrGgPBx3uLqjEmchHYdGZ93cv7dWBPDq5Xerac0MYGipHJ8yzGTsy2DcbcjFZk11LjNqaXlbJHYvEeSVtRagrCAmEYpLPTSUXbWT2TNK13EhN0bwN2arqDQRe67nAxlprSzeGPFoI3oPlMgPX0vSwQH-UsAcmI7zoDkKmJm32mmup/s822/iconify%20figma%20plugin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Figma plugins - Iconify - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="822" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqI135m3eESwGKrGgPBx3uLqjEmchHYdGZ93cv7dWBPDq5Xerac0MYGipHJ8yzGTsy2DcbcjFZk11LjNqaXlbJHYvEeSVtRagrCAmEYpLPTSUXbWT2TNK13EhN0bwN2arqDQRe67nAxlprSzeGPFoI3oPlMgPX0vSwQH-UsAcmI7zoDkKmJm32mmup/w441-h292/iconify%20figma%20plugin.jpg" title="Figma plugins - Iconify - The Mobile Spoon" width="441" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Remove BG</h2><p>In Photoshop, getting rid of backgrounds was part of the basic functionality. In Figma, you need a plugin for that (or maybe there's an option I'm not familiar with). </p><p>Either way, with Remove BG it's pretty easy to remove any background from almost any image out there. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/738992712906748191" target="_blank">Remove BG plugin for Figma</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6JdE-n9lHpL3zrWJDwqFhsBxwUdFQZ2WUu6cEYyYDNJ3oRhDFmBsgXONQjrhZO1gUkHTkhij8fTwnt9HStE3qQydGtdZWd1-G0WYv1JDBPAB5sUERArBjebh0hCpUXxFY_6xJX52jB4m57Zi2u4KUK7Y4jRNdYBKZ7pbOt2iXJc8Vi4vWApyeByK/s626/Figma%20plugin%20-%20remove%20BG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Figma plugins - Remove BG - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="626" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6JdE-n9lHpL3zrWJDwqFhsBxwUdFQZ2WUu6cEYyYDNJ3oRhDFmBsgXONQjrhZO1gUkHTkhij8fTwnt9HStE3qQydGtdZWd1-G0WYv1JDBPAB5sUERArBjebh0hCpUXxFY_6xJX52jB4m57Zi2u4KUK7Y4jRNdYBKZ7pbOt2iXJc8Vi4vWApyeByK/w480-h172/Figma%20plugin%20-%20remove%20BG.jpg" title="Figma plugins - Remove BG - The Mobile Spoon" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. NB Charts</h2><p>This plugin makes it easy to define a chart, add values, set some basic design guidelines such as colors, line width, and gridlines, and add great-looking charts to your designs. </p><p>Supported chart types: Line charts, column charts, bar charts, pie charts, radar charts, scatter charts, bubble charts, ring charts, maps, candlesticks, gauges…</p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/892787217901293479" target="_blank">NB Charts plugin for Figma</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcK3M5iPE3y8qxjghGtjflTDRhTevWIJmt5ErFI-h--RqxkUNnxJOHmORebV2NIb1sVFsc3JjXbB28N6Uy_YPMY8b1R2QxoSPBEn0n5eSeflJ-AOoI47oxRr8Hj3_n9_Q9nidkwKirGrovPZotyKTtUKJPxwK07TGex6B2xGmGgNQnk1u6y2Mt2UCO/s932/NB%20Charts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Figma Plugins - NB Charts - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="932" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcK3M5iPE3y8qxjghGtjflTDRhTevWIJmt5ErFI-h--RqxkUNnxJOHmORebV2NIb1sVFsc3JjXbB28N6Uy_YPMY8b1R2QxoSPBEn0n5eSeflJ-AOoI47oxRr8Hj3_n9_Q9nidkwKirGrovPZotyKTtUKJPxwK07TGex6B2xGmGgNQnk1u6y2Mt2UCO/w400-h315/NB%20Charts.jpg" title="Figma Plugins - NB Charts - The Mobile Spoon" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Recommended posts: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/11/6-useful-websites-for-downloading-free.html" target="_blank">6 useful websites for downloading free illustrations</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/11/design-ui-tables-20-rules-guide.html" target="_blank">How to design data tables that don't suck - the 20 rules guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">The all-in-one guide to high-converting CTA buttons</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Blobs</h2><p>Who doesn't love blobs, right? So instead of wasting time creating them - how about using a plugin that does exactly that? You can thank me later. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/739208439270091369" target="_blank">Blobs plugin for Figma</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaBjVyzWQFwkYmezY7sn0GcCChXE6aX3HDGCReR53FPX74OY-X9s6e_c0Xtwnvayg7Y8fuDrV9pMSaV0ATA7QLx1B59PdG7OGhzYHehzqWS7nER08y-ygz4FbIAj9cXmT_NrKolz5sn_n1YRi5uVsCpMCYKYRv7DyK6FT3gOP58qI0NRhkjstpmUR/s631/blobs%20figma%20plugin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Figma plugins - Blobs - The Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="631" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaBjVyzWQFwkYmezY7sn0GcCChXE6aX3HDGCReR53FPX74OY-X9s6e_c0Xtwnvayg7Y8fuDrV9pMSaV0ATA7QLx1B59PdG7OGhzYHehzqWS7nER08y-ygz4FbIAj9cXmT_NrKolz5sn_n1YRi5uVsCpMCYKYRv7DyK6FT3gOP58qI0NRhkjstpmUR/w400-h265/blobs%20figma%20plugin.jpg" title="Figma plugins - Blobs - The Mobile Spoon" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Avatars</h2><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Without 'Avatars'</b>: go to Pexels, search for a good-looking photo, paste it into Figma, trim it, and turn it into an ellipse. </li><li><b>With 'Avatars':</b> use the plugin. There you go. </li></ul><p></p><p>Whenever you need photos of real people in your designs (in profile pages, chat, leaderboards) - Avatars is pretty handy. </p><p>Link: <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/739659977030056719" target="_blank">Avatars plugin for Figma</a></p><p><br /></p><p>. . .</p><p>That's all for this one. Don't forget to <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to my occasional newsletter and become 27% more awesome than average.</p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-17320439109966966362022-07-07T02:56:00.001-07:002023-01-30T03:25:01.463-08:005 mistakes we all make (and how to stop making them): <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn66mLacki-qmEi8pffET-7BWF9QVWd0ggBsUJNLhsV10T3K_JkRCLqn1NRfNdL0bfHFsUsyaHWJnhPnqFJnCwwnBJ1WtXoQkw6BSFemhQm0CAEjdYMozGU-nq-zM9Q1iMxeUMlPo2Kp5HsAzD5oBxSG_QLPNbyOvjsg1a8rG1OAOTgW4yhqzXbt37/s1536/mistakes%20we%20all%20make.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="5 mistakes we all make - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn66mLacki-qmEi8pffET-7BWF9QVWd0ggBsUJNLhsV10T3K_JkRCLqn1NRfNdL0bfHFsUsyaHWJnhPnqFJnCwwnBJ1WtXoQkw6BSFemhQm0CAEjdYMozGU-nq-zM9Q1iMxeUMlPo2Kp5HsAzD5oBxSG_QLPNbyOvjsg1a8rG1OAOTgW4yhqzXbt37/s16000/mistakes%20we%20all%20make.jpg" title="5 mistakes we all make - the mobile spoon" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Space rocket crashing (created in 2 seconds using <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/midjourney-the-guide.html" target="_blank">Midjourney</a>) </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>5 mistakes most people make, usually in our workplace, and are ruining things for us: </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Share too much information</h2><p>John Wayne said: </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">“Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much.”</blockquote><p>Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said: </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">“The less you speak, the more you will hear.”</blockquote><p>And I say (yes, that's me quoting myself): </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">“The less you speak, the more you will be heard.” </blockquote><p></p><p>People that talk too much and too soon, end up saying stupid things or sharing information they regret sharing. Evaluate carefully who you’re talking to, and shut the f...<beep>...ck up. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Follow what other people do</h2><p>Call it the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">bandwagon effect</a> or the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">herd mentality</a>, people often do things just because “everyone’s doing it”. </p><p>This behavior doesn’t guarantee better results. In fact, it usually means you will end up being where most mediocre people are. Trust your instincts, even if it makes you unique.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/new-job-new-rules-4-donts-when-entering-new-workplace.html" target="_blank">New job? new rules: 4 don'ts when entering a new workplace</a></p><p><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/11/managers-heres-why-you-should-have.html" target="_blank">Managers, here's why you should have a strong number 2</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Take criticism personally</h2><p>Sometimes even the smallest comment can get to us. </p><p>Tim Ferris once said: </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>“10% of people will find a way to take anything personally. Expect it and treat it as math.” </blockquote><p></p><p>It's hard, but try not to be in that 10%, and analyze criticism in a way that will allow you to learn from it and improve. </p><p>Once you are able to do that - teach me how.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Take advice from everyone </h2><p>We all suffer from <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">authority bias</a>, where we give too much weight to the opinion of an authority figure even if the subject is unrelated to the person’s authority.</p><p>It happened to me a few times as an entrepreneur, and I ended up making a decision that contradicted my own instincts - and in most cases, it was the wrong decision.</p><p>So I defined the following life rule: </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;">“Get as much advice as you can, respect the experienced and absorb the information, but don't let it override your own opinion and intuition.”</p></blockquote><p>Because often enough, the only person who fully understands your situation with all the nuances - is you. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/09/5-mistakes-product-managers-make.html" target="_blank">5 basic mistakes product managers still make</a></p><p><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/10/treat-your-cv-like-product-to-increase.html" target="_blank">Treat your CV like a product to increase your job search conversion rate</a></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Wait for opportunities instead of creating them.</h2><p>Here’s a tweet I wrote recently: </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">If you don’t ask, the answer will always be ‘no’. If you don’t step forward, you’ll always be in the same place. If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never get it. If you don’t shoot, you’ll always miss 100% of your shots.</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>To receive opportunities you need to create opportunities because no one will give you anything for free. </p><p>Work hard, keep moving, keep creating, and things will happen. </p><p>Increase your chances of being around opportunities as they appear, and maybe you can grab some of them. </p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one - hope you found it helpful. </p><p>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/GilBouhnick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for some more insights and tips, or <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average. </p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-45513668536437419142022-06-27T02:55:00.005-07:002022-06-27T02:57:36.875-07:0013 additional tips for improving your UX writing (with examples) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbkJIdglgrWReAxwbsWMc02tLtu0jQO8lPNGL0c7Sa0_KFl_EPqj25oG6QYMqP01lJvXHh1fFsLQ0ylG6E5hMpQIEg_xGAdDOEN3K8JGbEyUKCTYOmG6bH76DlMYdj1P9cVC5kOZ6iyV-oVft-slKIAjJtU6uwMAsLffPaZweBk2ek_5p_FKyEdAO/s789/ux%20tip%207.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="789" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbkJIdglgrWReAxwbsWMc02tLtu0jQO8lPNGL0c7Sa0_KFl_EPqj25oG6QYMqP01lJvXHh1fFsLQ0ylG6E5hMpQIEg_xGAdDOEN3K8JGbEyUKCTYOmG6bH76DlMYdj1P9cVC5kOZ6iyV-oVft-slKIAjJtU6uwMAsLffPaZweBk2ek_5p_FKyEdAO/s16000/ux%20tip%207.png" title="UX Writing tips - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Here's a second guide for boosting your UX writing skills and improving your product's microcopy.</p><p>If you haven't read my first guide - make sure to check it out <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/11/ux-writing-comprehensive-guide-for.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">1. Bite-sized text blocks instead of lengthy sentences</h3><div>There are always words to remove and ways to simplify your sentences. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DoPPmiO-iySbVb6GVfd8rzXukbt0q2_6T-NMlWDP_5w7uxbMch3RmMnriz7zVhpp5k4TiT8qJpm3H0067zQu32E1f5HGuj6dLOdP9QI6ihd6MsYeB3P4l6jRJtZLx5bV-yv30x97Fa_rD6XhZvp8Yf9jzyB2yI8NoAY3RwXZS6W18kJkdnrZ_FjN/s791/ux%20tip%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Bite-sized text blocks" border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="791" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DoPPmiO-iySbVb6GVfd8rzXukbt0q2_6T-NMlWDP_5w7uxbMch3RmMnriz7zVhpp5k4TiT8qJpm3H0067zQu32E1f5HGuj6dLOdP9QI6ihd6MsYeB3P4l6jRJtZLx5bV-yv30x97Fa_rD6XhZvp8Yf9jzyB2yI8NoAY3RwXZS6W18kJkdnrZ_FjN/w640-h390/ux%20tip%201.png" title="UX Writing tips - Bite-sized text blocks" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Less is usually better</h3><div>You don't have to wrap every UI element with a descriptive text. </div><div>Use common UI designs and users will find their way around. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl1AfAmILTlV2ybzvYbBNioeBFy2KkquzRWUlZBmxtDIaKpd215PkmsiFpaXljHzLZ_yF7QVhR6kYijw0cGPppRIbx4vKxsfbjkNrqmDXpf41rSrYNXBCVG6V0ZtHy_Mhu1c5B0_f7eVo7rL5zyxhjPNpoBjF3hdq9kV7tWReRYbaHVbISeXhgT50/s790/ux%20tip%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Less is usually better" border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="790" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl1AfAmILTlV2ybzvYbBNioeBFy2KkquzRWUlZBmxtDIaKpd215PkmsiFpaXljHzLZ_yF7QVhR6kYijw0cGPppRIbx4vKxsfbjkNrqmDXpf41rSrYNXBCVG6V0ZtHy_Mhu1c5B0_f7eVo7rL5zyxhjPNpoBjF3hdq9kV7tWReRYbaHVbISeXhgT50/w640-h390/ux%20tip%202.png" title="UX Writing tips - Less is usually better" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. It’s not about YOUR product. It’s about THEIR benefits</h3><div>Don’t describe what your product can do for them, explain what they (your users) can gain by using it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqp7Wu5-SXw_s2vwkcBujr7jQpIx8vp6lZ1IsIWV3QtHxW1tr3friiEltW2QovO_9mv_r_WlKmC2sa3DPmEiecUYxgrai3BUPeyvKq4-QklRiKLrtjayt7BkvRNJb2mFqx7Nbu_XF-cp7g2-EKdfgwoIlsOWgb-HZ3VQgv8WU20EZral1bejrtXjB/s791/ux%20tip%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - It’s not about YOUR product. It’s about THEIR benefits" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="791" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqp7Wu5-SXw_s2vwkcBujr7jQpIx8vp6lZ1IsIWV3QtHxW1tr3friiEltW2QovO_9mv_r_WlKmC2sa3DPmEiecUYxgrai3BUPeyvKq4-QklRiKLrtjayt7BkvRNJb2mFqx7Nbu_XF-cp7g2-EKdfgwoIlsOWgb-HZ3VQgv8WU20EZral1bejrtXjB/w640-h390/ux%20tip%203.png" title="UX Writing tips - It’s not about YOUR product. It’s about THEIR benefits" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Play hard to get </h3><div>We all suffer from "<a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/01/the-host-syndrome.html" target="_blank">the host syndrome</a>" - that uncontrollable urge to promote every feature in our product so people realize how great it is.</div><div><br /></div><div>Only problem is, nobody cares. </div><div><br /></div><div>Users are suspicious and impatient. An excess of data will overwhelm them and turn them off. </div><div>So instead of bloating your product with too much information, use <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/progressive-disclosure/" target="_blank">progressive disclosure</a>: start simple, and add complexity as the users become more experienced and engaged. </div><div>This approach should be applied to both features and UX Writing.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">5. Use familiar terminology</h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Do your research </li><li>Learn <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/07/boss-obsessed-terminology.html" target="_blank">the terminology your users use</a></li><li>Adopt it in your product</li><li>Educate your organization to use it both externally and internally</li></ul></div><div>Do not reinvent the wheel, or else your users will feel lost, or just find it unprofessional. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, avoid technical jargon. </div><div>Your writing should fit everyone and not everyone is as technical as yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">6. Be consistent</h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Confirm your email? Or is it "verify" your email? Approve? Authorize? </li><li>"Remove" item or "Delete" item? </li><li>Is it "Edit" or "Update"?</li></ul></div><div>Whatever you decide, be consistent with it across your product and any other communication (email/push notifications) with your users. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">7. Use simple examples to reinforce your message</h3><div><div>Avoid formalities and speak to your users in a way they can easily understand. </div><div>Include examples that can help everyone understand your point. </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQrL8Sr9hmNqSm_d35M5BdIVE-1TJBINF0p2ixtjINTA4s1Pi326S8E9HEHslfekj8F-WqVI0FpLmXAC19yz_YWMDPVaS_t0miGTEbr8f2oHlBnmYsbuM6uCnla2kUxIT6fL4vYUTQuOQ3bTm_dsih2GHVUHH4FeIh67llAwF54nZDZ7Fp5SKlVxZ/s792/ux%20tip%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Use simple examples to reinforce your message" border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="792" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQrL8Sr9hmNqSm_d35M5BdIVE-1TJBINF0p2ixtjINTA4s1Pi326S8E9HEHslfekj8F-WqVI0FpLmXAC19yz_YWMDPVaS_t0miGTEbr8f2oHlBnmYsbuM6uCnla2kUxIT6fL4vYUTQuOQ3bTm_dsih2GHVUHH4FeIh67llAwF54nZDZ7Fp5SKlVxZ/w640-h328/ux%20tip%204.png" title="UX Writing tips - Use simple examples to reinforce your message" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">8. Be conversational</h3><p>Embrace a casual and friendly tone: <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtDFWoxGt5hAWuN_qIBgDUqhLhztuesgQOiOC1tXMOmZrPwpX86tYex6Ce2a4S4sCJ-g0s3RY9GEg3dqrHXe95oIoTUUwwAcqsCXpBHI_WTeXARD-Azq0qVLH1Uy2vX_uT5dyhOCwXWK7opjkfLllS_rI5-vYHW67HnOxHJErNCBErZS6nhAHcC5N/s792/ux%20tip%205.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Be conversational" border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="792" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtDFWoxGt5hAWuN_qIBgDUqhLhztuesgQOiOC1tXMOmZrPwpX86tYex6Ce2a4S4sCJ-g0s3RY9GEg3dqrHXe95oIoTUUwwAcqsCXpBHI_WTeXARD-Azq0qVLH1Uy2vX_uT5dyhOCwXWK7opjkfLllS_rI5-vYHW67HnOxHJErNCBErZS6nhAHcC5N/w640-h388/ux%20tip%205.png" title="UX Writing tips - Be conversational" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>But please don't take it to the extreme:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXov4tcG8ELuoxQ8Kz7Tq7GySHmJDhr6nNbcA6dQYkXDAYmkE_p5qb87i77BVd2bWI1BhJFZYQ72JdTGrWDdSzsArQcqRXg2etKEXWoSfJFagPIdh8zHwY8_1VJVQVuV-mgahm00XM4TKeNTmC7NefZcB1cpO-O9JaWTU6c-MT91OeO7wbME5z8zH/s791/ux%20tip%206.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Be conversational, but don't exaggerate" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="791" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXov4tcG8ELuoxQ8Kz7Tq7GySHmJDhr6nNbcA6dQYkXDAYmkE_p5qb87i77BVd2bWI1BhJFZYQ72JdTGrWDdSzsArQcqRXg2etKEXWoSfJFagPIdh8zHwY8_1VJVQVuV-mgahm00XM4TKeNTmC7NefZcB1cpO-O9JaWTU6c-MT91OeO7wbME5z8zH/w640-h390/ux%20tip%206.png" title="UX Writing tips - Be conversational, but don't exaggerate" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">9. User plain language </h3><div>Writing in <a href="https://www.plainlanguage.gov/about/definitions/" target="_blank">plain language</a> makes your content easier to read, easier to understand, and more accessible.</div><div>Here's a <a href="https://medium.com/curiosity-by-design/the-handy-list-of-human-words-a70f13dde55e" target="_blank">handy list of human-friendly words</a> to help you replace that robotic tone with a natural one. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">10. Use present tense and active voice</h3><div>Write short and direct sentences to describe actions and create a sense of immediacy. </div><div>This will keep your users engaged. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Instead of: <b><i>"The Search button should be used to find your article"</i></b>. </li><li>Use: <b><i>"Click Search to find your article"</i></b>.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Instead of: <b><i>"Message has been sent"</i></b>. </li><li>Use: <b><i>"Message sent"</i></b>.</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbkJIdglgrWReAxwbsWMc02tLtu0jQO8lPNGL0c7Sa0_KFl_EPqj25oG6QYMqP01lJvXHh1fFsLQ0ylG6E5hMpQIEg_xGAdDOEN3K8JGbEyUKCTYOmG6bH76DlMYdj1P9cVC5kOZ6iyV-oVft-slKIAjJtU6uwMAsLffPaZweBk2ek_5p_FKyEdAO/s789/ux%20tip%207.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Use present tense and active voice" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="789" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbkJIdglgrWReAxwbsWMc02tLtu0jQO8lPNGL0c7Sa0_KFl_EPqj25oG6QYMqP01lJvXHh1fFsLQ0ylG6E5hMpQIEg_xGAdDOEN3K8JGbEyUKCTYOmG6bH76DlMYdj1P9cVC5kOZ6iyV-oVft-slKIAjJtU6uwMAsLffPaZweBk2ek_5p_FKyEdAO/w640-h390/ux%20tip%207.png" title="UX Writing tips - Use present tense and active voice" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">11. Remember: fewer risks = fewer drops</h3><p>Hesitant users are more likely to drop off.<br />Use microcopy to increase trust and eliminate security and privacy concerns. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaqWgRcwNidf84yw7GiL3xDmfDxR-cov03vza4fWnSPYN_h3sIlQv-_YMGgbYrlYPsKmPq7hwjbiVa94j-EfACUwsQseS5kiawzBPMHLz7856u1zq6EtwegcNwj0pkbFLVQRia8Dbeh8zPKZIU83Zo_VgLzDPBIjapKjh5MX3TaUscUw7rdmdwKhX/s792/ux%20tip%208.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - fewer risks = fewer drops" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="792" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidaqWgRcwNidf84yw7GiL3xDmfDxR-cov03vza4fWnSPYN_h3sIlQv-_YMGgbYrlYPsKmPq7hwjbiVa94j-EfACUwsQseS5kiawzBPMHLz7856u1zq6EtwegcNwj0pkbFLVQRia8Dbeh8zPKZIU83Zo_VgLzDPBIjapKjh5MX3TaUscUw7rdmdwKhX/w640-h390/ux%20tip%208.png" title="UX Writing tips - fewer risks = fewer drops" width="640" /></a></div><p>Here’s a <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html" target="_blank">complete list of CTA button decorators</a> designed to increase conversion rates. </p><div>And here's my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">crazy collection of 84 cognitive biases</a> to help you better understand your users and optimize your product and writing accordingly. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h3>12. Set the right expectations</h3><div>As mentioned in my post <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/09/10-lessons-learned-payment-through-our.html" target="_blank">10 lessons learned from asking our users to pay</a> - sometimes the smallest clarification can set the right expectations and boost conversion rates dramatically. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSmOLg6THVPVDrJU9eFFhtk4-bp1U3hUT7pfvwLGnZH-15NiN2G7NtU6_agoWdqlHcqNFNHYoiZwWL-KOd4zIvli-nIKMQgSbM-VqI6FdLwzKn_7qNtm9-Dnw4SAV2enUHyRuqF-dIQoqHZN5xkKN11ALgPnrWF3fNdO01D1X3Md2VqZVin1oGPYl/s791/ux%20tip%209.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Set the right expectations" border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="791" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSmOLg6THVPVDrJU9eFFhtk4-bp1U3hUT7pfvwLGnZH-15NiN2G7NtU6_agoWdqlHcqNFNHYoiZwWL-KOd4zIvli-nIKMQgSbM-VqI6FdLwzKn_7qNtm9-Dnw4SAV2enUHyRuqF-dIQoqHZN5xkKN11ALgPnrWF3fNdO01D1X3Md2VqZVin1oGPYl/w640-h390/ux%20tip%209.png" title="UX Writing tips - Set the right expectations" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">13. Text is a significant part of your design</h3><p>And as such - it is important to pay attention to how it blends within the overall look & feel. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Alignment & margins</li><li>Font size</li><li>Color</li><li>Capital letters</li><li>Spacing and line-height</li><li>Number of lines</li><li>Dates and number formats</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0dglqzJsz5Z8JNPU597uxTZ53zEm1sBDR3ZhfeZu75a8_kbPgZQYiD1xaKPgtBJURCGdg0DauOkGcnsXN23xpEo4JkEiuW3OhCJUWsUXbJmKwc_LGfRSCFmX3oUn0TDSATHmZnJMLV6pRPnP4bEP_B7jZKh3LGcTSMZpnD-6fr01pbE0H_-EVCJL/s790/ux%20tip%209%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UX Writing tips - Text is a significant part of your design" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="790" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0dglqzJsz5Z8JNPU597uxTZ53zEm1sBDR3ZhfeZu75a8_kbPgZQYiD1xaKPgtBJURCGdg0DauOkGcnsXN23xpEo4JkEiuW3OhCJUWsUXbJmKwc_LGfRSCFmX3oUn0TDSATHmZnJMLV6pRPnP4bEP_B7jZKh3LGcTSMZpnD-6fr01pbE0H_-EVCJL/w640-h390/ux%20tip%209%201.png" title="UX Writing tips - Text is a significant part of your design" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>For a full list of tips - check out my <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2018/11/ux-writing-comprehensive-guide-for.html" target="_blank">40 rules guide about designing text in products</a>.</div><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one, hope you found it useful and informative. <br /></p><p>Before you head off. make sure to <a href="https://mailchi.mp/b9c664dfafa3/mobilespoon" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> and become 23% more awesome than average. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-22757745054640625982022-06-24T14:17:00.013-07:002022-08-01T16:51:47.303-07:005 Apps I use every day (and cannot live without)<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAChnCqHuxllw97Q-lJ18S3k2xGivm0RTwpYBzS5_VuI_QNHqQIX1aXyYUdNLqDvMEJtYTUt9ZjkqoIrk1wcWYLnG11UtnITRtJULttcnqP3wP0KnCh-NWH-wdnGsULjrpa6IZC1KtT5isdVkHqh9JcytyOthtKCaBIYaaOMxskf1tnfT_IgPe470P/s1000/mobilespoon%205%20apps%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 apps - the mobile spoon" border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAChnCqHuxllw97Q-lJ18S3k2xGivm0RTwpYBzS5_VuI_QNHqQIX1aXyYUdNLqDvMEJtYTUt9ZjkqoIrk1wcWYLnG11UtnITRtJULttcnqP3wP0KnCh-NWH-wdnGsULjrpa6IZC1KtT5isdVkHqh9JcytyOthtKCaBIYaaOMxskf1tnfT_IgPe470P/s16000/mobilespoon%205%20apps%201.png" title="5 apps - the mobile spoon" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Every now and then, I enjoy taking a break from writing about <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/search/label/Product%20Management" target="_blank">product management</a>, <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/search/label/User%20Interface" target="_blank">UX</a>, or any of the other topics I usually mumble about, to recommend some products I use and appreciate.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are 5 apps that I use every day and absolutely cannot live without:</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Volv - news bites for the curious, yet attention deficit generation</h2><p>I used to do my online readings with a bunch of aggregators like <a href="https://feedly.com/" target="_blank">Feedly</a>, <a href="https://getpocket.com/en/" target="_blank">Pocket</a>, and <a href="https://medium.com/" target="_blank">Medium</a>, but as my attention span kept shrinking I had to find some faster alternatives.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCTXg3605Td80eSxsdY_cQk5vV9x6Xd3Aeyq4HdKfOMXSJucGEvqyggKZJeQkgRYZkr6Pp2IwUUVHcF9YdejfwXf3hWl1Ji2YyUJUVo0ZYEdnp1GHTGaEk0gvHm_xmVrEr9RaGQddBeA2N1t0cLEcNT5IXjLqbigLnDKB_VtZDqM0irKwo9LOmgjZ/s1000/Volv%20-%20MobileSpoon%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Volv - news bites for the curious, yet attention deficit generation" border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1000" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCTXg3605Td80eSxsdY_cQk5vV9x6Xd3Aeyq4HdKfOMXSJucGEvqyggKZJeQkgRYZkr6Pp2IwUUVHcF9YdejfwXf3hWl1Ji2YyUJUVo0ZYEdnp1GHTGaEk0gvHm_xmVrEr9RaGQddBeA2N1t0cLEcNT5IXjLqbigLnDKB_VtZDqM0irKwo9LOmgjZ/w640-h552/Volv%20-%20MobileSpoon%201.png" title="Volv - news bites for the curious, yet attention deficit generation" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://volvmedia.com/" target="_blank">Volv</a> is the perfect answer. This elegant app turns articles and newsletters into a social media-style feed. Each piece takes around 10-15 seconds to read, and comes with a nice image and links to the full articles in case you want to dig further. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white;">As the day winds down</span>, Volv gives me a perfect wrap-up of everything that has happened and is worth knowing.</blockquote><p></p><p>Download Volv: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/volv-read-less-know-more/id1474813657?ls=1" target="_blank">App Store</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.volvmedia.volvapp" target="_blank">Google Play</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Craft - the future of documents</h2><p><a href="https://www.craft.do/" target="_blank">Craft</a> is one of those apps that make note-taking fun and exciting! (Sounds geekier than I expected). </p><p>It turns your notes into beautiful documents with tons of useful design options that look absolutely gorgeous on any device (including native apps for Mac and iOS). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl9QlaPfOFTc_PWPdGMC6kt6Kmx5nTsdP3FR_mrV8vm3snHC7rVqDkDDjYnnYlEhpWTcE1gtosMV0n4G6uOCXdvPXQSigWRgtjtqsWIJEnNyizeogG9nEkH2XvbLOUXkuGUHRgf8DDspnoKCrb2ZEJTyelviLgEep0tmTz1_jYDLRtZBvtqUI0YMF/s1000/Craft%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Craft - the future of documents" border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1000" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl9QlaPfOFTc_PWPdGMC6kt6Kmx5nTsdP3FR_mrV8vm3snHC7rVqDkDDjYnnYlEhpWTcE1gtosMV0n4G6uOCXdvPXQSigWRgtjtqsWIJEnNyizeogG9nEkH2XvbLOUXkuGUHRgf8DDspnoKCrb2ZEJTyelviLgEep0tmTz1_jYDLRtZBvtqUI0YMF/w640-h366/Craft%201.png" title="Craft - the future of documents" width="640" /></a></div><p>It’s a lot like <a href="https://www.notion.so/" target="_blank">Notion</a> but more focused on the design and text capabilities. </p><p>Craft supports all the basic stuff like embedding images, changing backgrounds, applying text styles, adding tables, etc. </p><p>But what made me adopt this tool and use it on a daily basis were the embedded elements (cards, snippets, and pages), and the superior UX of this product. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>I use Craft in my ongoing researches, for my ongoing notes, and as a to-do list. </blockquote><p></p><p>Download Craft: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/craft-docs/id1487937127" target="_blank">App Store</a> | <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/craft-docs/id1487937127" target="_blank">Mac OS</a> | <a href="https://docs.craft.do/" target="_blank">Web</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Quant - the fitness dashboard </h2><p>We live in a quantified world. The more I pay attention to my fitness and health, the more I need to monitor my activities and fitness levels visually. </p><p>This is exactly why I <b>created</b> Quant; the app connects to <a href="https://www.apple.com/ios/health/" target="_blank">Apple Health</a> and visualizes the essential health & fitness metrics to make it easier to track the important stuff and stay motivated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz0fqWWbGHbYv6BgsAQrsoyO9QrDAo5r_3DK1EMsN2VLt7bsnZvDc1emZl-N9a6_GvBsGdUfi__E3Eg6e3nR7DEY9IYmOo1bVC5OOnzW03vTbtqLRpyvpgK_5F_z3rAnT5sIangqVdhPQKq2YI7VYyL_IOoouCa1j27riGdzqfN59DgGVoX0D9ToI/s1000/Quant%20with%20Watch.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Quant - your fitness & health dashboard" border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1000" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPz0fqWWbGHbYv6BgsAQrsoyO9QrDAo5r_3DK1EMsN2VLt7bsnZvDc1emZl-N9a6_GvBsGdUfi__E3Eg6e3nR7DEY9IYmOo1bVC5OOnzW03vTbtqLRpyvpgK_5F_z3rAnT5sIangqVdhPQKq2YI7VYyL_IOoouCa1j27riGdzqfN59DgGVoX0D9ToI/w640-h574/Quant%20with%20Watch.png" title="Quant - your fitness & health dashboard" width="640" /></a></div></div><p><b>Disclaimer</b>: I developed this app years ago (as a small side-project) when I just purchased my first Apple Watch, and wanted an alternative fitness metrics apps that is not focusing on closing rings. </p><p><a href="https://www.getquant.xyz/" target="_blank">Quant</a> sets daily & weekly activity goals based on past performance (standing minutes, steps, floors, workouts). </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>Beating your previous records means you are getting better. </blockquote><p></p><p>Instead of setting extreme goals based on wishful thinking or far-fetched guesses, you focus on gradual yet repeated improvement. Quant makes sure your graphs always go up. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>Quant helps me track my daily progress and make sure I'm in good shape to break my own records. </blockquote><p></p><p>Download Quant: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/quant-your-fitness-dashboard/id1406705309" target="_blank">App Store</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Crypto Pro - All-in-one cryptocurrency tracking app</h2><p>If you survived the recent crypto crash and still willing to take some risks - this one might become handy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR4zK3_tWob00zB8rBcPrnMOeTZH1g9bqH3PArqwHuNK3MSJl_FP2nKpke119YS0aCQay-huChD2YNJUaxbWrP5LTSBRuym_7WEHnCo5iMPtI2Qr5dwJsBnOSPWnlBJFJxwhZ6n7uvzg7GEby4IY66VrbuhHQkPxTP8ZYcaNnXWt-xswI7l6dXptu/s1470/crypto%20pro.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crypto Pro - All-in-one cryptocurrency tracking app" border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1470" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR4zK3_tWob00zB8rBcPrnMOeTZH1g9bqH3PArqwHuNK3MSJl_FP2nKpke119YS0aCQay-huChD2YNJUaxbWrP5LTSBRuym_7WEHnCo5iMPtI2Qr5dwJsBnOSPWnlBJFJxwhZ6n7uvzg7GEby4IY66VrbuhHQkPxTP8ZYcaNnXWt-xswI7l6dXptu/w640-h372/crypto%20pro.png" title="Crypto Pro - All-in-one cryptocurrency tracking app" width="640" /></a></div><p>While most of my friends are using coin gecko, I actually prefer <a href="https://cryptopro.app/" target="_blank">Crypto Pro</a> as my main crypto dashboard due to its’ slicker design, fast loading, configurable views, quick comparisons (using multitouch), news tracking, multiple portfolio tracking, highly customizable alerts, and best widgets out there. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>I use Crypto Pro along the week to monitor my portfolios and find occasional opportunities, especially now when the market is down.</blockquote><p></p><p>Download Crypto Pro: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id980888073" target="_blank">App Store</a> | <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id980888073#?platform=mac" target="_blank">Mac OS</a> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Procast </h2><p><a href="https://podcast-app.de/" target="_blank">Procast</a> is by far the friendliest podcast app I've ever used.</p><p>This app is perfect for managing many subscriptions; it has an awsome discovery functionality and a great inbox design for managing new subscribed episodes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFjeTvC_W3oRTYfZpCtak0NE5Dr7rgZPIl02-0Vno_vDmGGIWYG2r9CbicocwLJkIRtLr93tXQbtTD4kCpqkx8gFpUiDbf8JVHfNpucuqbvP-wvgrS4sOIDuDXSOVL42R5kzq5N2hctJaESBTBCJr2-Zm-0ZTr9wjodtfD2dQb69iv29C-kOraYsF/s1000/Procast%201.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Procast" border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1000" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFjeTvC_W3oRTYfZpCtak0NE5Dr7rgZPIl02-0Vno_vDmGGIWYG2r9CbicocwLJkIRtLr93tXQbtTD4kCpqkx8gFpUiDbf8JVHfNpucuqbvP-wvgrS4sOIDuDXSOVL42R5kzq5N2hctJaESBTBCJr2-Zm-0ZTr9wjodtfD2dQb69iv29C-kOraYsF/w640-h552/Procast%201.png" title="Procast" width="640" /></a></div><p>If you listen to educational podcasts, Procast’s snippets come really handy: whenever there’s something you want to save for later or just add to your knowledge base - you can save it as a short “snippet” and it will be stored in the built-in “Cuts” repository. </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>I use Procast on a daily basis and often go back to my saved "cuts" to summarize key points or share interesting pieces with my colleagues. </blockquote><p></p><p>Download Procast: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/procast-podcast-app/id1215380730" target="_blank">App Store</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.podflitzer.android" target="_blank">Google Play</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one, make sure to check out <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/best.html" target="_blank">the best of the mobile spoon</a> or <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to the occasional newsletter. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6554515860534069301.post-35216230921610112872022-06-07T13:20:00.022-07:002023-02-19T09:58:17.392-08:00Challenge your decision making process with the Tenth Man Rule<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHT65vffMJHO3Zgd3pFbs_AdET9SK1BjgAjpHHBlK66DHgjKZJEoKA6h1dbzmJDQEacMWqup866WyuE5vI-XAsvMkNZEBO4oUhhpm3z2JNh2Gar_nZlukBjhWb8hQ4ZtwIdXArf3qmthOB0Hym9XJocCRZdKcKLmNEO9xvtiIkqMrTCPJlqkSZJnGV/s867/fish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="The Tenth Man Rule and how to apply it in business decisions - the Mobile Spoon" border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="867" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHT65vffMJHO3Zgd3pFbs_AdET9SK1BjgAjpHHBlK66DHgjKZJEoKA6h1dbzmJDQEacMWqup866WyuE5vI-XAsvMkNZEBO4oUhhpm3z2JNh2Gar_nZlukBjhWb8hQ4ZtwIdXArf3qmthOB0Hym9XJocCRZdKcKLmNEO9xvtiIkqMrTCPJlqkSZJnGV/s16000/fish.jpg" title="The Tenth Man Rule and how to apply it in business decisions - the Mobile Spoon" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>I saw <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z_(film)" target="_blank">World War Z</a> the other day, and one specific quote captured my attention:</p><p>When asked, how come Israel was the only country in the world that built a wall to protect itself from a potential zombies attack, Mossad Chief answered: "Thanks to the Tenth Man Rule":</p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">“If nine of us who get the same information arrived at the same conclusion, it’s the duty of the tenth man to disagree. No matter how improbable it may seem. The tenth man has to start thinking about the assumption that the other nine are wrong.”</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><div><div>If you ever found yourself in a disagreement with the rest of the execs, you know that being the lone objector can be an isolating and frustrating experience. </div></div><p>At first, people will hear you out but over time they’ll run out of patience. </p><p>The more the company invests in a certain direction, the harder it will be to abandon it, and the less it will be open to criticism (this bias is known as the <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/10/cognitive-biases-design-better-products-part2.html" target="_blank">Sunk Cost Fallacy</a>).</p><p>And the worst part is, if you’re right, the company has already lost. </p><div>Having a rule that forces the decision-makers to assign someone to be the "dissenting voice" responsible for taking a contrarian view and challenging the prevailing consensus is a great tool to battle <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink" target="_blank">groupthink bias</a> - a phenomenon that exists even in the smartest and most experienced management teams. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some advantages of using "the tenth man rule": </div><div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>It encourages critical thinking and ensures that all assumptions and potential risks are considered before making a decision. The person who takes a contrarian view will force the group to examine the decision from all angles without upsetting anyone - because that's his agreed role. </li><li><div>It reduces common <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink" target="_blank">groupthink</a>, <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">confirmation</a> biases, and <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2019/04/collection-cognitive-biases-how-to-use.html" target="_blank">authority biases</a> that are happening even among experienced leadership teams. </div></li><li><div>It enhances creativity and encourages the group to think outside the box and consider different ideas.</div></li><li><div>It increases accountability and eliminates "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_responsibility" target="_blank">diffusion of responsibility</a>" (whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction when other bystanders or witnesses are present).</div></li></ol></div></div><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">“When you find yourself on the side of the majority, you should pause and reflect.” <span style="text-align: left;">― Mark Twain</span></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>So, next time your whole team agrees too quickly on something and you feel some risks are being overlooked - bring up the "Tenth Man Rule" as a mechanism to eliminate biases, encourage critical thinking, and improve the decision-making process. </p><p>Related post: <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/05/how-to-play-devils-advocate-without-making-everyone-hate-you.html" target="_blank">How to play devil's advocate without making everyone hate you</a></p><p><br /></p><div>And remember: </div><div></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">“The one who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find themselves in places no one has ever been" ― Albert Einstein.</div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Check out some other posts: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/02/whats-the-visionary-curse-and-how-to-deal-with-it.html" target="_blank">The Visionary's Curse is real. Here's how to deal with it</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/new-job-new-rules-4-donts-when-entering-new-workplace.html" target="_blank">New job? New rules! 4 don'ts when entering a new workplace</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2022/11/managers-heres-why-you-should-have.html" target="_blank">Managers, here's why you should have a strong number 2</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/2023/01/5-mistakes-we-all-make.html" target="_blank">5 mistakes we all make (and how to stop making them)</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>That's it for this one. Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/GilBouhnick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for some ongoing thoughts about product, development, UX, and entrepreneurship, or <a href="https://www.mobilespoon.net/p/newsletter.html" target="_blank">subscribe to my occasional newsletter</a> and become 27% more awesome than average. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Continue reading at the mobile spoon...</div>Gil Bouhnickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778382332134032974noreply@blogger.com0