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When it comes to determining whether an app has the potential to succeed, Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp, believes it boils down to one fundamental question: does it solve a basic problem? The most successful apps don't just offer fancy features; they provide solutions to everyday issues that people face. Koum emphasizes that these solutions should be simple and efficient.
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Take WhatsApp, for example. The app solved a problem that many people faced—communicating across different locations, cities, countries, and time zones. While communication wasn't impossible before WhatsApp, it was often challenging and expensive. By making it easier and cheaper, WhatsApp provided a solution that people naturally gravitated toward.
Offering Value: Easier and Cheaper
Koum's philosophy is clear: if you can offer something to people that makes their lives easier and saves them money, they will use it. It's not about overcomplicating things; it's about providing value in a straightforward, accessible way. When people find a product that simplifies their lives, adoption becomes almost inevitable.
Thinking on a Global Scale
But Koum doesn’t stop at just solving a problem. For an app to truly have potential, it needs to solve a problem on a global scale. It's not enough for an app to be useful to a small group of people, like those on a university campus. The real question is, can it scale to a billion or two billion people?
This global mindset is what sets successful apps apart from the rest. It's about thinking beyond local solutions and considering how the app can impact people around the world.
The Takeaway: Simplicity, Value, and Global Reach
So, how do you determine if an app idea has potential? According to Koum, it’s about identifying a basic problem, solving it simply and efficiently, offering clear value by making things easier and cheaper, and thinking on a global scale. These principles guided the creation of WhatsApp, an app that now connects billions of people worldwide, and they can guide you in evaluating the potential of your next big idea.
Listen to Jan Koum:
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