What can you learn from Secret, the App?

I recently downloaded secret — an app for posting your secrets anonymously. Its an app which has got massive traction. As a product manager or a growth hacker, this is yet another app you would want to note down your learnings from.

Lets wear the hat of a product manager & see what can be our learning from an app like secret?

1. Innovative use of Location based services: Secret posts comes some information of distance. This is a very smart thing to do. for two reasons: a. it introduces a variability in information with every post b. it creates a desire to go & check the app time & again to see if the distance is showing up. c. This is rather the only component of the app that can allow you to take a pot shot at the anonymous poster.

This rather small variation on the use of LBS, might well as be their engagement hack. This feature’s KPI can be judged by the impact on DAU (daily active users)

2. Share the anonymous thread on the app on any other platform via html link: if you ponder, this feature takes the app from within the thread to a whole new world who may be tempted to signup for the app.

Call it their virality hack.

3. use of floating avatars: every poster gets a unique avatar. If you think of it, its a UI genius move. This tempts you to particpate in all discussions on any post just to see what’s the avatar you get.