Bringing your community into the product development

process@alexdao

Sr. Manager of Community Development

As you grow, organization is the key to building a product your

community loves

@alexdao

@alexdao

Vimeo is a remarkably creative community.

@alexdao

@alexdao

Vimeo 2009

@alexdao

Vimeo 2014

@alexdao

How to bring your community into your product process:

@alexdao

1. Specialize and organize

2. Share feedback far, wide, and often

3. Research with your community

As your company grows, generalists will become specialists.

@alexdao

Don’t just scale your support.

@alexdao

@alexdao

1. Specialize and organize

2. Share feedback far, wide, and often

3. Research with your community

@alexdao

Users want Users want

Users want

Users want

Users want Users want

Respectful reiteration is key.

@alexdao

Pay attention to feedback!For every user who complains, 26 other

users remain silent.

@alexdao Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs

Share good vibes, too.

@alexdao

@alexdao

1. Specialize and organize

2. Share feedback far, wide, and often

3. Research with your community

@alexdao

Usability and beta testing

@alexdao

Testing with your users

@alexdao

A few pointers…

• Make them comfortable

• There are no wrong answers

• Avoid leading questions

• Tag team with product and design

• Take lots of notes

When pain points go unaddressed they spread like a virus.

@alexdao

@alexdao

We had a problem.

@alexdao

The Organizer

In other words…• As you grow, specialize and organize

• Scale feedback with support

• Community Managers are member advocates

• Find a format that communicates issues clearly

• Respectfully reiterate

• Prevention is the best medicine

@alexdao

TATE

THE YEOMEN

@alexdao

THANK YOU!