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Users You Don't Want by Michael Seibel
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Michael Seibel is a partner and the CEO of YC. He cofounded Justin.tv, which was in the winter 2007 batch and Socialcam, which was in the winter 2012 batch. https://twitter.com/mwseibel In this video Michael comments on his essay Users You Don't Want https://blog.ycombinator.com/users-you-dont-want/ The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon - https://twitter.com/craigcannon *** Topics 00:00 - Users You Don’t Want 1:30 - The spectrum of how users are using your product 3:00 - Users that take a lot of customer support time 5:50 - Don’t let the hijack users control the product roadmap
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The Users You Don't Want
Michael Seibel discusses the concept of 'users you don't want' in startups, emphasizing how early-stage companies often attract a wide range of users, including those who hijack the product for unintended purposes. He reflects on his experience with Justin.tv, where the platform was used for streaming content that diverged from its original intent, highlighting the importance of recognizing and managing these hijack users.
"users you don't want and this one was Stannis yeah this was fun yeah when you're just getting started many startups will take every user they can get they have a strong idea of a problem and they want..."
Identifying Hijack Users
In this segment, Seibel elaborates on the spectrum of user engagement, distinguishing between users who utilize the product as intended and those who create short-term value without long-term benefits. He warns against the dangers of hijack users, who can harm the network and detract from the product's value, urging startups to identify and remove these users to maintain focus on their core mission.
"didn't say that these hijack users are not are not users you want because it turns out that like sometimes they are yeah it turns out that like you know the reason why we even had an inkling to do twi..."
The Cost of Customer Support
Seibel addresses the issue of users who consume excessive customer support resources without generating sufficient revenue. He provides a hypothetical scenario involving Airbnb and illegal activities, illustrating how such users can be detrimental to the business despite their financial contributions. This segment emphasizes the need for startups to evaluate the overall impact of users on their operations.
"users who are using your product and they're creating no value and they're probably actively do you like decreasing your value they're there they're harming your network right and like for us you know..."
Staying True to Your Product Vision
In the concluding segment, Seibel stresses the importance of not allowing hijack users to dictate the product roadmap. He advocates for a focused approach to product development, encouraging startups to explore new use cases without compromising their core mission. Seibel emphasizes that having a clear opinion about the product is crucial for building a successful business.
"so I think this is important and I think that like it's not that the hayek users have like bad intentions even um they can some do but some it's just they want to use your prod to do what they want to..."