Ideas for Snapchat

If you just look at what Snapchat was in 2011 versus what it is now, you can see how much it has changed:

I’m sure that Evan Spiegel will innovate and add new features that cannot be easily replicated by copycats. But Snapchat can’t keep adding ton of features into their app, because it can overwhelm users.

Here are some TechCrunch articles about potential Snapchat features:

• Imagining Snapchat’s Future: https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/13/imagining-snapchats-future/ (focus on UI and discovery improvements)
• This article is a must read: https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/17/the-bull-case-for-snapchat/ (Snap Shop, Places, Games, Spectacles 2.0)

Here are some TechCrunch articles about interesting launches/experiments:

• Snapchat Tries Our Stories For Locals Only: https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/13/local-our-stories/
• Snapchat Launches Collaborative Timelines Based On Events: https://techcrunch.com/2014/06/17/snapchat-launches-collaborative-timelines-based-on-events/

Idea 1: Group Stories

This idea is inspired from collaborative timelines based on events (check the link above).

When we travel to a place together with friends or family we take of snaps (selfie + groupie + scenic) and share them on our stories separately. As a result, our mutual friends will end of seeing snaps of same place in multiple stories. If only there is a way in Snapchat that allows friends to create a common story they can share, the problem would be solved.

Here is how it works:

• User creates a group story and adds her friends who will contribute to story.
• Once her friends accepts the group story request, they can start sharing snaps to that story.
• At the end of the day, everyone who is part of the story can download all pics shared in the story to their camera roll.

Update: There is some traction for Group stories already: https://catch.team/.

Idea 2: Local Stories

This idea is similar to idea 1. You will share snaps about a location with people in that location. Here is how it works:

• User finds something interesting at a local store and takes a snap.
• Snapchat auto-suggests tags like #GreatMall, #NikeStoreSanJose etc., for user to add to her snap.
• User can simply tap those tags and share her snap to multiple local stories at once.
• Users can search for local stories and view ones they are interested in. Snapchat also choose to show top local stories to users nearby.

Idea 3: Streams

People like to share different kinds of stories. They are not always the same. Story can be about your vacation or technology or politics or your baby or fitness etc.,.

Two things:

• As a follower, user might be interested into subscribing to specific type of stories from a person. For example: Only view their technology related content but not their cat snaps.
• As a content creator/influencer/celebrity, user gets the benefit of sharing with content with the right audience. Having a single Facebook timeline, single Snap Story is too restrictive.

Snapchat Streams is significantly different from Google+ Circles. Streams are created based on the type of content unlike circles (which is based on type of relation user has).

Here is how it works:

• User creates 3 streams (Fitness, Technology, Fun).
• Her friend subscribes to only Fitness and Fun streams.
• Her follower subscribes to just Technology stream because they are not interested in other streams.

Basic version of this idea #3 (Streams) is discovered with my friends: Abhishek Shrisvastava (Co-founder at EventsHigh), Sumit Ranjan (PayPal) and Sai Kumar Arava (Adobe Systems).