Building a Meeting App, Day 1: Keep It Simple, Stupid

This is not really us discussing the app, but it’s close! · Photo by Masmas++

This is day 1 of the Building a Meeting App series, in which we create a functional meeting app from scratch in six days. We’ll be documenting every step of the process and will launch the final product on day 6 (Wednesday, September 6), ready for you to get your hands on.

I’ve arrived in (surprisingly rainy) Barcelona and met up with Maarten at Masmas++ to talk product. How can we make a first version of our app that’s fast to build, yet that is interesting enough for people to use? While having a burger (and trying to look civilized — don’t eat burgers on first dates, guys), this is what we came up with.

What exactly are we going to build?

1. Of the ~20 feature ideas we had (see this video of a prototype we made earlier), everything related to planning meetings and having people RSVP already exists in your calendar. It could definitely be interesting to add something like that later, but it’s not one of those core features that will be worth the time to build it.
2. What problem are we trying to solve? Based on our experience, the biggest issue with meetings is that people often can’t remember what’s been said and what they were supposed to do. Obviously, that totally defeats the purpose of having a meeting in the first place.
3. That realization made us think about an app that allows you to write meeting minutes in a structured way. It would allow you to tag people, so we can send everyone a personalized summary after the meeting, highlighting the tasks they were tagged in.
4. How can we provide an intuitive way to write meeting minutes? It would make sense to define the topics that will be discussed during the meeting first. Then, during the meeting, you could write minutes for each topic.
5. To make all of that work, we need two things: the email address of each participant so that we can send them a personalized summary, and the topics of the meeting to write minutes for.
6. As you’ll have to enter the email address of each participant anyway, why not skip user accounts altogether and let first-time visitors dive right in?

We’re getting really excited about the simplicity of the app, and the very specific problem it solves. As the app gets launched and attracts more users, there is always time to add more features and gradually increase the value of the product. But we want to get it out as fast as possible, while still providing enough value to be interesting to people. I think this will be a way for us to do that.

Why the time pressure, anyway?

Next to keeping momentum and energy levels high, the real-world data you’re getting through launching a product allows you to make better decisions on what to work on next. As I see it, the earlier you can get that, the better. Plus, you can ask for qualitative feedback so that you get to know who’s using your product, what they like and what needs improvement. I’ve wasted a lot of time building the wrong things — please don’t make the same mistake I made.

Moneylist, for example, doesn’t have the (very basic) option to change your email address or password yet. But it does have a few core features that make it interesting to use. Next to that, it has analytics and a large chat button for users to give their feedback or ask questions, providing me with directions on what to work on next. It has everything that’s important for now, and nothing more.

Tomorrow, we’ll dive into what the app should look like and will create our first sketches. I’m eager to get your thoughts on this — if you feel like discussing the direction we’re taking, hit me up on Twitter!

P.S. If you’re in town, make sure to pay Masmas++ in Castelldefels a visit — they’ll make you feel right at home (and serve really good coffee). Thanks, guys!

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