Charlie Kaplan, VP of Product at Audiomack, discusses product-market fit, emphasizing experimentation and studying churn to improve product experience.
He contrasts his experiences at Cymbal, lacking product-market fit, with Audiomack, which has a successful fit with 41 million monthly users.
Kaplan stresses the value of observing user behavior over surveying and emphasizes that actions speak louder than words in product development.
Being a domain expert can provide advantages but may lead to blind spots, necessitating continuous experimentation and avoiding assumptions.
Kaplan reflects on surprising feedback from users that challenged his assumptions, like the success of mobile music uploads on Audiomack.
Studying churn is crucial to distinguishing hype from genuine product-market fit, as seen through examples from Cymbal and Audiomack's features.
Kaplan discusses handling underperforming features, emphasizing the importance of analyzing failures and using insights to iterate effectively.
Balancing user perspectives between artists and listeners is vital for a streaming service's success in creating valuable connections.
Kaplan prioritizes thorough testing and empirical data over speed, believing that continuous refinement based on user insights leads to better products.
His philosophy advocates for daily testing to uncover user truths, ultimately saving time and improving product development.