Notices by Logan Dice (logandice@mastodon.social)

Would anybody here like to practice improv?

I've recently learned about discord and realized that the group voice chat is the perfect place to do some improv comedy online. I was really surprised it's not a thing yet, so I've made a server:

https://discord.gg/XHwFXQs

Come join us! You don't have to be good at this, English doesn't need to be your first language, socially awkward people are welcome! (I am one)

If you'd like to chat and make up some funny scenes - come have fun with us!

Would anybody here like to practice improv?

I've recently learned about discord and realized that the group voice chat is the perfect place to do some improv comedy online. I was really surprised it's not a thing yet, so I've made a server:

https://discord.gg/XHwFXQs

Come join us! You don't have to be good at this, English doesn't need to be your first language, socially awkward people are welcome! (I am one)

If you'd like to chat and make up some funny scenes - come have fun with us!

Just discovered an awesome website - https://voiceroulette.io, allows you to talk to random strangers on the internet.

For me, as an introvert, it's absolutely amazing, no-pressure anonymous opportunity to have a fun conversation.

It has launched only recently, so there isn't a lot of people there yet, but I really hope it takes off. Come chat with us!

I've always wanted to subscribe to the top Product Hunt products via RSS but couldn't. So I've made an rss feed myself:

https://phrss.startuplab.io/

(They have an official feed, but it's a firehose of everything that's submitted and it spams my feed with 100s products every week. My feed contains only the featured ones).

we all know how this ends

I've always wanted to subscribe to the top Product Hunt products via RSS but couldn't. So I've made an rss feed myself:

https://phrss.startuplab.io/

(They have an official feed, but it's a firehose of everything that's submitted and it spams my feed with 100s products every week. My feed contains only the featured ones).

Boredom is valuable, it is a state that drives creativity. When your brain feels bored, but doesn't have the outlet of games, TV, or social media, it will seek other ways to relieve it, which often results in making cool things or thinking up some ideas.

The craving to refresh reddit or RSS has value, it is the same sensation that drives you to do cool stuff. By not refreshing the page, you can "save up" the boredom/dopamine, fuel it into the motivation to do useful things.

You improve your models of how things work and come up with epiphanies/ideas by taking action and practicing.

Don't wait until you have the perfect startup idea, or have figured out all the answers on how to write well, or have learned all the theory.

Taking action and making things without perfectly seeing the whole picture is uncomfortable, but this is the best way to tweak and improve your model.

Draw your map as your journey towards your goal, not before you get out of the house.

My last date was so dumb, I had to slip her modafinil just to have an interesting conversation.

A 360° cam sent up into space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsSvqvK_3Zo

Notes on Startup Growth
(Most insightful things I have learned from the recent Startup School lectures)

https://medium.com/@startuplab/notes-on-startup-growth-4af0bf9e9706

Why retention is important:

If you have 7% revenue churn in a month (you lose 7% of paying users), it doesn't seem like a lot (you still keep 93% of your revenue), but that adds up to 58% in a year. So if you're a $1m/year startup, each year you have to figure out how to make up for $580k in lost revenue, and grow on top of that.

The more you grow, the harder and more expensive it will be for marketing to gain the amount of users you have lost.

Don't keep pouring water into a leaky bucket.

Startup growth formula:

Visits * Sign ups * People who found value * Retention * People who shared product = Growth.

Use these metrics to diagnose why startup is not growing and fix it.

To prioritize - forecast outcomes. How much effort will it take, how much value it will produce? Work on one thing that has the best ratio.

An example of Airbnb optimizing an invite email:

- Use inviter's name in the subject for social proof.

- Use big headline conveying clear value (get $40 on your first trip).

- Create urgency by setting a deadline, the date by which you can accept the invite.

- CTA button says "Accept invitation" instead of just "Sign up" creating more "sense of exclusivity".

- Inviter's name, social image, information on how long he's been a user - creates even more social proof.

Growth channels to explore:

- Do people use Google to find the kind of product you're offering?
Try Content Marketing + SEO.

- Do existing users already share your product via word of mouth?
Optimize Virality and Referrals (for example offer rewards for inviting new users).

- Can you make a list of all your potential customers?
Do sales (like calling the companies in your niche).

- Do users have high LTV?
Use paid acquisition (like Facebook ads).

Conversion rate optimization.

Your product is a funnel. There are multiple steps between the first time user sees your product and the moment he hands you money. Each step causes some drop off in number of people who follow to the next step.

Optimizing each of these steps increases the number of sales.

3 key types of conversions:

- Authentication (new user signups).
- Onboarding (new user experience taking them to receiving value).
- Purchase conversion (user buying your product).