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The watercooler for ideas, opinions, and fun topics as it relates to product, design, and engineering in the world of software...and maybe more. Guess we will find out!
Video walk-throughs do not
belong inside of products.
I would even go so far as to say that if
you need a video walkthrough to explain.
How to use your product
or the features in it.
Your design and user experience
is fundamentally flawed.
My name is willed king, and
this is the second episode.
Number five of strong opinions
weekly held that I've recorded today.
Because I've gotten to talk about this.
Let's do a good.
Okay.
Okay.
That.
It was a very strong way to express
my feelings on video walkthroughs.
And they're not quite that strong,
but it felt like a good intro.
Uh, let's dig into why I feel this way.
And let's see if you
end up agreeing with me.
The first thing I want to cover is
that video walkthroughs are not bad.
I like in isolation.
In fact, they're extremely useful tools
to have and be able to make, uh, and
having your toolbox when, when you use
them correctly and in the right context.
And later on, we're going to talk
exactly like what that context is, but
inside your app is not the right time.
Why.
Well, when a user's logged into your
app, they're there to do something.
And they've already bought
into the problems that your
software is going to solve.
And they are actively engaged.
And have a goal.
And our job is to keep them that way.
We often talk about
this as like flow state.
Uh, as engineers.
Uh, when you're like
writing a code on a project.
And like you don't realize like
two or three hours has gone by.
Uh, and engineer's chronically
complained about being interrupted and
being pulled out of that flow state.
And a video walkthrough is like pouring
molasses on all that potential energy.
Uh, that somebody has as they are going
from an active role to a passive role.
Because they are actively trying to do,
uh, something inside of your software.
And what you are doing.
As you are putting them
in the back of their seat.
In an inactive state.
Asking them to remember some
recipe or some incantation for
how to get your software to do
the things that you promised them.
It could do.
And that's bad design.
I don't care how you spin it.
You should be able to use
the full power of software.
There is so much more that
software can do than video.
To remove complexity from existence
on your backend, on how you are
building your software or to guide the
interactions on your front end, using
UI in different fields and design to
point people in the way they need to go.
But our job is to maintain the flow
state of our user and pull them through
the experience of using your software.
It should feel magnetic almost.
They should know where
to go, what to be doing.
And that's how I feel about video
walkthroughs inside of, uh, products,
but that's just one side of the coin that
doesn't mean video walkthroughs are bad.
I did say that they are in fact
great in the right context.
So when is the right context?
Well, when a walkthrough is
used as a means of distribution.
That's the right context.
When it's being used, not on people
who are already bought in and trying
to use your software, but on people
who aren't, people who you need
to show the power of your software
and explain the ease in which the
problems that they have can be solved.
And this happens on YouTube
happens on social media.
It should go in your marketing
pages, your landing pages.
That is where a walkthrough should exist.
And when, when the goal is
conversion, And not guidance.
And you wanna know a
little secret, guess what?
If you've nailed that first part, if
you have a magnetic product that you've
simplified in the experience and design.
Helps people through your software,
your video walkthrough is going
to be like 200% more effective.
Because when your walkthrough videos need
to focus on the steps needed to use your
product, you're going to lose your users.
But if it already does that for you,
you get to turn your focus on dis
storytelling on explaining the value
your software provides at a level
that will resonate with your PO.
The bit, which will resonate
with your potential customers.
Okay.
That's it.
That's the full opinion, both sides
of the coin, strong opinion shared.
What do you think.
Now that you heard both sides of my
argument and heard what I had to say.
Do you agree?
I know people have shrunk opinions about
videos, and if your product has video
walkthroughs, you probably have like
a strong, emotional reaction to this.
Anyway.
But I want you to really think about what
I said, and I want to hear what you think.
I've got a link below to ripple.
Uh, where we can talk or you can find me
on Twitter and you can yell at me there.
Um, or you can agree with
me either way is great.
I love disagreement.
I love discussion.
So let's make that happen.
In this episode today, I've got
a fun little update today on X
or Twitter, whatever you call it.
My wife.
Allie, who was hilarious
roasted me yet again.
Um, it's her love language.
She, she said, I don't most like want
to stop doing it because I don't want
people to think that I'm only mean to you.
Um, and I just told her that
I think people understand that
that's like your type of humor.
You don't go around
roasting everybody else.
It's just me.
Um, And she's, she's hilarious.
And in P in that thread, Uh,
where she was being hilarious.
Uh, she, somebody said, have y'all ever.
Y'all should do a podcast together.
Well, ladies and gents, I
think we might just do that.
We talked about.
Um, some ideas and she said,
and I quote, so you want me to
offend the entire tech community?
And she like pause for a second.
She said, I accept.
Um, so we have some fun segment ideas.
Uh, that we might bring on just to
trial, run some things on this podcast.
If you want to stick around and listen.
Um, In future episodes, but there
are going to be two ground rules.
But you'll have to follow one.
There is no schedule when the
opportunities present themselves, so
we'll take them, but don't expect them.
It's just consider them
like a little gift.
The final, the final
ground rule is being nice.
You feel the animals.
It's for humor.
And it's going to be good.
Natured fun.
Although there are a couple of serious
segments on the docket because like,
as parents, like, they're just,
I think there's some like good.
Good things that, um, Allie.
And I, I'm not going to like say
that they were my ideas or anything.
Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't,
but like as a whole, like, I think it'd be
interesting to share like parenting stuff.
Um, that we go through.
So like, those might come up as well.
Um, But we'll say, I think it'll be fun.
Let me know also what
you think about that.
Um, or if, what you would
like to hear related to that?
But that's all I got.
Um, I will probably share the original
episode number five, that I'm now.
Uh, that I now have available at some
point probably is like next week's
episode, because then, you know, content.
I don't have to record
next week, but who knows?
I may get struck with inspiration
again next week and I'll probably
just release both of them then in
that case, but that's all I got today.
See ya.