The Offbeat View - Issue #2
We’re here now!
Eager to keep the momentum going despite having to sneak off to Barcelona with the missus I managed to squeeze in some time to bring you the second issue.
THANK YOU: Whether you do it now or once you’ve decided if you like this issue I would really appreciate if you come back here and give me a shout out so that I can grow this and be motivated to keep sending it.
Feel free to hit ‘reply’ and tell me what I could improve - it proper makes a difference!
Let's Build Great Products
Thinking about user psychology and if users enjoy using our products
Imagine how great our products would be if we created experiences that drive user satisfaction? Here is a discussion on what that looks like with user psychology driving this thinking.
The Design Sprint — GV
The DESIGN SPRINT is a 5-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing with customers.
NOTE: This framework is probably more suited to new ideas (so in a later issue I’ll share a technique more aligned to iteration on existing ideas) or you can email me.
So how about a way to cut the endless debate cycle and compress months of time into a single week and get actionable data from a realistic prototype. Here’s GV’s Sprint Process in 90 Seconds.
From Me To You: Links & News
FUNDING: Hybrid agent YOPA closes £15m Series B, brings total to £31m #PropTech
YOPA focussed on London has raised £15m in Series B funding, bringing the total amount of money raised to date at £31m. Already backed by Savills investment arm and the Daily Mails parent company.
PROPOSITION: Online Agency with local Agents
With Countrywide shares down, Purplebricks having a bigger market capitalisation and former Countrywide Chief Digital Office even stating hybrid as the way forward in the Big Debate between Bricks and Clicks hybrid seems like a very interesting space to be in. Keen to see what they’re doing that’s different from Purplebricks. A refresh on the article I highlighted last week from Mike Delprete & Eddie Holmes.
The app you may use daily and it's public offering: What lessons can we learn?
Since Snapchat rejected Zuckerberg’s offer (citing it being too low - 3bn! bold or foolish?) aspects of its core product on its closed network has been copied by all the other social media platforms. Despite taking a bet on closed networks and its Spectacles it has lost 2bn (because they needed to pay employees)?
Their IPO disappointed Wall Street analysts and the fact that they are repositioning themselves as a “camera company” is quite telling.
Here’s an article on discusses what UK tech startups and scaleups can learn from Snap’s first quarterly results from a partner at a law firm.
Helpful Tool(s)
BuzzSumo: Find the Most Shared Content and Key Influencers
I’m using this myself to find out what’s ‘buzzing’ before I do my own due diligence and cut through the noise - great starting point.
UPDATE: there is a daily limit so use sparingly