Snapchat’s lens studio product is a definite category defining product. As an AR developer, it’s been soo much fun and enjoyable creating AR experiences, and its one of the first times I can make an experience and directly engage a large audience.
Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
181–190 of 195 posts
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#182Give credit where credit is due. Spiegel is digging deep, showing humility, and asking the right questions after Snap has been flailing for a long time. The crux of the issue is that they haven't launched anything fundamentally innovative and game-changing since the original Snapchat, which went insanely viral in the teen demographic. In this sense they are following a similar path as Bebo, where I worked before they…
> That said, the fact that they shipped a v2 of Spectacles that didn't fix any of the core problems with the original isn't a good sign. What are the core problems you are talking about? Personally the biggest issue with me in v1 was how flashy they looked, v2 got rid of that and now it's a great device. I made some really good footage with it. People are missing a really good experience not having it imo.
They toned down the flashiness, that was a step in the right direction. The biggest things holding them back are
1) the camera is still way too conspicuous
2) only post to Snapchat
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#183Earlier quoted context omitted.
> That said, the fact that they shipped a v2 of Spectacles that didn't fix any of the core problems with the original isn't a good sign. What are the core problems you are talking about? Personally the biggest issue with me in v1 was how flashy they looked, v2 got rid of that and now it's a great device. I made some really good footage with it. People are missing a really good experience not having it imo.
They toned down the flashiness, that was a step in the right direction. The biggest things holding them back are 1) the camera is still way too conspicuous 2) only post to Snapchat
2 -> you can download the video and post it anywhere but yeah it would be nice to have it directly saved to phone rather than snapchat then save to phone
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#184Snapchat has failed the test of feature vs. product. Everything that made Snapchat unique is something easily emulated in a myriad of other apps. When you strip away the interface, the only unique part of it was the network/aggregator-effect they have. However, they were much smaller than Instagram and as a result would be fighting an uphill battle with a product that already has the network and could easily duplicat…
I disagree. Snapchat, at least conceptually to me, is for more private, candid, or even meaningless conversations to close friends. I have very little of a filter on snapchat - and messages and snaps disappearing after a day certainly helps. Whereas with Instagram, etc, it's about 'showing your best'. There's a layer of artificialness to it. Unfortunately, literally 90% of my friends left Snapchat after the redesign.…
I disagree with your disagreement ;)
In all seriousness, I understand your point, but what you’re referring to is a feature of a messaging/social product, not necessarily a product itself.
In Snapchat’ case, everything that makes it unique is easily duplicated by Instagram, outside of the people on it.
However, your comment on Instagram is actually about the marketing of the product, not necessarily the product itself.
Basically, if you take away the branding and the interface and distill down Instagram and Snapchat into the core functionality, there is little difference outside the network of users.
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#185Snapchat has failed the test of feature vs. product. Everything that made Snapchat unique is something easily emulated in a myriad of other apps. When you strip away the interface, the only unique part of it was the network/aggregator-effect they have. However, they were much smaller than Instagram and as a result would be fighting an uphill battle with a product that already has the network and could easily duplicat…
I think of any social media company as an interface into a network. If the network isn't fundamentally the moat then that's a problem because the interface can often (but maybe not always) be a commodity. In the early stages, a small social media company may use its novel interface as the moat. Interface moats can be fragile but they buy the company some time to grow the network and gives the initial set of early ado…
This is really well thought out. Thank you for posting :)
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#186Earlier quoted context omitted.
They toned down the flashiness, that was a step in the right direction. The biggest things holding them back are 1) the camera is still way too conspicuous 2) only post to Snapchat
2 -> you can download the video and post it anywhere but yeah it would be nice to have it directly saved to phone rather than snapchat then save to phone
I believe the output is a circle video instead of the normal rectangle video.
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#187Lost in all this is an important distinction that Snapchat wanted to make: they wanted to separate friends from influencers / celebrities / media. It was a good change. Another important thing Snapchat does is it doesn't show likes / followers publicly - when the whole world is chasing these numbers Snapchat has taken stance against it. The general philosophy they follow makes me think this is short term pain and the…
Why did Snapchat feel so strongly that it was necessary to separate them? Neither Instagram nor Twitter separate friends from influencers/celebrities/media, and that seems to work fine.
My understanding is that it was a philosophical standpoint Evan took, not 'Snapchat' as a whole necessarily.
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#188Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe Apple. They’ll just pull most of the ads and make it “privacy focused”. If they gave people an alternative to Facebook it would be a big move.
Apple's not going to buy an app with a significant Android user base unless it's such a compelling app that it causes people to abandon Android and buy an iPhone. Snapchat ain't that app.
How do you square that with their purchase of Shazam?
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#189Maybe this will be the beginning of the end for the social media bubble?
Is there really a bubble? The players look fairly solidified to me. You have Facebook, which might not be as cool in all countries with younger users, and has had a lot of controversy surrounding fake news, election influence, and privacy, but it's doing well. You have Instagram, which is doing very well, was a great Facebook acquisition, helping their parent company even more. You have Twitter, which seems to be str…
I think what people forget, or don't really consider, is that a third of the human race alive today is a monthly active user of Facebook. Yes, they're doing well.
Re: Snapchat CEO’s leaked memo on survival
#190Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there really a bubble? The players look fairly solidified to me. You have Facebook, which might not be as cool in all countries with younger users, and has had a lot of controversy surrounding fake news, election influence, and privacy, but it's doing well. You have Instagram, which is doing very well, was a great Facebook acquisition, helping their parent company even more. You have Twitter, which seems to be str…
Reddit is certainly trying to pivot toward social media, with probably the least enthusiasistic and most hostile user base for that change they could possibly have.
Reddit has always been social media, unless you're thinking of a different definition of it?