My friend Susan introduced me to an interview with Ed Latimore on the Farnam Street’s Knowledge podcast. I finished listening to it while biking down 31st street in Astoria. I got off my bike, started the podcast over, and immediately listened to it again.
It’s hard to believe Conor McGregor’s physical transformation.
Today, I took a day trip to the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, the Val-Kill Cottage near Poughkeepsie, NY.
I was talking to Brian Balfour about retention and engagement, and asked him this question:
[blockquote]“Should you try to retain people at the onboarding phase, or try to resurrect people who have churned and are now dormant?”[/blockquote]
You see, I’ve heard arguments for both sides, but when I told Brian this, here’s his response:
Later he explained:
“A non-practitioner will make all sorts of arguments as to why it’s better to resurrect churned users (they’re already exposed, it’s cheaper, it’s a large audience, etc.). But a practitioner knows from experience it’s always more valuable to focus on new or current users.”
I just finished my second week at Reforge and if I had to sum up the week, it’s this:
I’m learning a new language — and it’s hard.
Reforge teaches growth professionals how to advance their skills in growth through online education, networking and mentorship. The students are 3 years into their career at companies like Facebook, Google, Dropbox, LinkedIn, etc. aka some damn smart people.
And after 5 minutes of talking with them, I realize I don’t have the vocabulary (yet) to talk through the ideas and concepts I’ll eventually teach, things like growth models, churn, and viral loops, just to scratch the surface. 90% of the time I’m just a smiling sponge in my chair, trying to absorb as much as I can.
That’s just part of the game. At I Will Teach, we called this “starting with a child’s mind.” The better you are at that, the easier everything else gets.
Fortunately, I’ve done my fair share of starting with a child’s mind. Years ago I moved to Los Angeles, with no idea that Hollywood had a its own language and cadence. I learned it slowly and painfully from scratch.
Last week I learned some interesting things about SF tech culture. For example:
But the biggest mental shifts I’ve had to make is about money. Here are 2 ideas about money I’m trying to hold simultaneously in my mind:
5 years ago, I was waiting tables at a Thai restaurant (thanks for the reminder, Facebook).
Before going to Taiwan, my friend prepared a document of recommendations. She wrote:
“Soup Dumplings: Din Tai Fung is big in Taiwan, but I say it’s overrated. A soup dumpling is a soup dumpling, and we get great ones stateside.”
We went to Din Tai Fung, and I couldn’t disagree more. The hype is well-deserved. This was probably my favorite meal (out of many good meals) in Taiwan. Of course, it wasn’t just about the soup dumplings — which were good.
Here are some other things I loved about our meal at Din Tai Fung.
The first time I visited Times Square in New York City, I spent the entire day enthralled by the city’s lights and 30 foot billboards.
Today, it’s just another stop on the subway where I have to dodge tourists and selfie sticks to get where I’m going.
This is exactly how I feel about the wave of online courses popping up on my Facebook and Instagram feed this past year. I’ve been playing in the online course sandbox for the last 3 years. 90% of the time, I scroll right past these ads — they’re basically invisible.
So, when I do SEE one… And it gets me to read… And to watch the video… And sign up for the webinar… I spend the time to think about WHY.
In a sea of ads that all fade away like elevator music, why did THIS one stick out to me?
Here’s the advertisement that popped up in my Facebook feed, from Wilco de Kreij.
Here’s my mental journey that got me to read, watch, and sign-up:
The ad started strong, hitting the pain of what it takes to build a list… and the idea that there has to be a better way (other than more opt-in widgets).
The solution is positioned as something new that I haven’t tried yet.
A silent objection is one I feel in my gut… but can’t quite put into words.
(For example, ever meet someone who for all intensive purposes seems nice, but you don’t trust? That’s your mind’s pattern recognition at work, silently objecting.)
The copy, “without relying on existing traffic sources or spending a dime on advertising traffic” addressed that silent objection… And got me to click on the video.
I was impressed by the video, not because it was beautifully shot or because of the polished delivery. In fact, it was the opposite. Wilco stuttered. He didn’t maintain eye contact. He felt a little awkward on video.
I loved it. I never felt like I was being sold to by a pro. It was the difference between buying a used car from a loud salesman in a poor fitting suit, and buying at a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
Definitely not. For example, the moment he shed even a tiny bit of detail on the “system,” alarm bells went off in my head.
I had another silent objection (“so I’m just asking people to share content? I don’t want to do that…”) and that objection was left unanswered.
And ultimately I didn’t convert. In other words, I signed up for the webinar, briefly watched the replay, but didn’t finish and didn’t buy. “Building a list” was too far away from my real desire of “make money” and “social influence”, and Wilco didn’t do enough to bridge the two in my mind.
So I didn’t feel like I HAD to add this to my calendar and move things around in my schedule to attend this webinar. But the ad did get me to click, so that part of the funnel was successful.
On the plane ride back from Taiwan, one of the movies I watched was The Founder (2016), the Ray Kroc and McDonald’s story. I highly recommend it.
Here are random lessons I took away from the movie: