> issue 002 · thu, oct 8 · read online

Last month, I attended a summit for big nerds product people where I heard:

All from the heads of product at Anthropic, OpenAI, Every, CX0 Dev etc.

Lots to unpack, and it was a great event, but here’s what I made of it all:

Here’s proof I took notes and can still literally put pen to paper.

Unfortunately, the notes are scattered and I jotted down “DM-able PM” with zero additional context…but I’ve decided I like it. AND I’d like to be one.

Hearing from you directly gives me: a stronger pulse on how you all use the platform, leverage to flex the roadmap, and more fuel to be ambitious about what we ultimately ship.

Are there downsides to this approach? Sure! For one, I’ll have to bid farewell to my inbox zero aspirations :)

More importantly, it could lead to recency bias where we unfairly overweigh whatever we heard most recently. A note from one creator on Monday can feel like the most important problem in the world by Tuesday’s standup, and that could mean misses on prioritization or focus.

Still, I don’t think the answer is less direct feedback.

I’m also not saying every request gets acted on immediately and delivered exactly as asked. That would make my job a lot less fun.

Odds are, I ask you more questions about a feature request, because it’s infinitely better when you describe the core problem you’re trying to solve, in your own words.

Then I think about it at work…at Trader Joe’s…on a run. All of that combined is what ultimately leads to the “oh snap, this is better than expected” outcome.

While I have peanut-level influence on Instagram, I have just enough influence over community priorities to put your feedback (and the patterns that show up in it) to work.

So, please feel free to share how things are going. Reply when something’s not working for you, especially if it feels small.

To prove this isn’t all idealistic woo-ing, check out the updates below, all live today thanks to your feedback from the last 14 days ↓

WHAT //

Swap the default # ahead of channel names for an emoji on any channel. To edit existing channels, go to channels > three-dot menu on the channel row > edit.

WHY //

Three reasons: 1. they make the channel list scannable 2. they give you one more way to communicate a channel’s intent 3. they let you add some personality to your left navigation. All three combined should mean it’s clearer what’s what for members while making the platform feel more like your brand.

For example, I imagine Sarah Whittle’s NEW Socialdown Society may make heavy use of 💅🫖👀.

WHAT //

There is now a search bar within the Member Directory. Members can search by any free-text or multi-select profile field you collect and by location.

WHY //

WHAT //

Channels with posts you haven’t seen yet now show up in bold in the sidebar. Once you’ve caught up, they go back to normal.

WHY //

Early feedback from a few users suggests we may need to offer stronger cues. Heard.

WHAT //

Copy / paste images directly into a post. Members can click any image to open it full screen, then click again to zoom in on the details.

WHY //

Last week’s updates included improvements to the feed: carousels, clearer post destinations, and comment previews.

Up next:

Bigger initiatives, including videos, content pages, and custom field-based access, are also now underway. More on all of this soon.

Cheers,
Alifya

P.S. If someone helps you run your community and it might help for them to receive these updates, please feel free to forward this email!