A week ago I logged out of snapchat and I started getting actual text messages within hours saying my friends have uploaded a new story and to log back in.
I instantly knew they weren't hitting their numbers
I instantly knew they weren't hitting their numbers
I've interviewed with snap and I came away unimpressed with their overall vision / focus / direction / trajectory. Their products and core offerings consistently give me the same impression and feeling- kinda impractical, confusing, and/or dumb. What is snap fundamentally about?
Remember that tiny kite picture-taking drone that would not be able to withstand even a small breeze? What were they thinking? I've been to the beach and out and about a lot this year, and have never seen one IRL.
The summation of all their efforts is unfortunate and leaves me a bit sad; the people themselves who work there are amazing and some of the nicest and most caring I've come across in the tech industry. Snap appears significantly less user-hostile than all the other social media platforms. They've pioneered filters and other trendy tech. However, the brand has challenges. I don't necessarily want all my messages constantly disappearing into thin air or constant silly craziness, because it's not useful. These perceptions aren't helpful for getting traction with "regular" people who want to communicate in an easy and predictable way.
Snap bitmojis were a ton of fun at the time, though.
Selling ads.