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Gym Could Be Self-Organized
#ProductInsights #UserBehavior #IndustryThinking

Gym Etiquette - Putting Weights Back

Have you ever noticed how a gym can seem perfectly organized, even without staff constantly tidying up? Regular gym-goers who understand proper workout etiquette naturally keep the space in order. They pick up scattered dumbbells, re-rack weights after use, and arrange equipment as part of their routines. This self-organization happens because users who know the environment take responsibility for maintaining it.
This got me thinking: What if we applied the same principle to product development? Just as gym users contribute to the organization of the space, engaged product users can play a significant role in shaping and improving products.

User-Driven Organization in Action

In both gyms and digital products, when users are knowledgeable and invested, they naturally contribute to the system’s optimization. For example, consider how experienced users in a software community might create helpful tutorials, report bugs, or suggest feature improvements. Their interactions not only enhance their own experience but also benefit the entire user base.

Thoughts on Smart Clean of Google Sheet

Now recently, Google Sheets released Smart Clean, this is really a good example and realization of my thinking.
  • Users has the incentive to “clean the data” for better analysis
  • Users are doing the work in the process of using the product
  • Users will be rewarded, in this case, it’s clean data

Implementing Participatory Product Development

So, how can product teams harness this self-organizing behavior? • Community Feedback Loops: Encourage users to share feedback through forums, surveys, or in-app messaging. Platforms like Reddit or Stack Overflow thrive because users actively participate in content creation and curation. • User Testing Programs: Invite power users to beta test new features. Companies like Microsoft and Apple have insider programs where users can test and provide feedback on upcoming releases. • Co-Creation Opportunities: Allow users to contribute directly to product development. Lego Ideas lets fans submit designs, some of which become official sets.

Practical Takeaways

• Empower Your Users: Provide tools and platforms that make it easy for users to contribute feedback and ideas. • Recognize and Reward Participation: Acknowledge contributions through shout-outs, badges, or other incentives to encourage ongoing engagement. • Integrate Feedback into Development: Establish processes to ensure user input is considered in product decisions.

Conclusion

Just like a well-organized gym maintained by its users, products can greatly benefit from active user participation. By embracing and facilitating this self-organizing behavior, product managers and UX researchers can foster a more engaged community and develop products that truly meet user needs.