AirChat Case Study, AI Influencers, X New Fee, and a Gmail Shake-up

Weekly Curated Content from GrowthHackers Community in your inbox!͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ [View in browser]( What If You Could Have The Experts Of the Growth Hacking Methodology Working On Your Business?  Is stagnant growth holding your company back? There's still time to join our Growth Services Cohort, but competition for these limited spots is fierce. This year's program offers a unique opportunity for only 10 companies to gain access to the combined brainpower and experience of our elite growth team.  Building a growth team isn't just about finding the right talent; it's about orchestrating them to seamlessly address every stage of the customer journey.  This requires a team with diverse expertise and a unified vision – a challenge many companies and leaders struggle with.  Designed for forward-thinking leaders, this cohort provides the tools and strategies your company needs to break through growth plateaus. Our growth experts are veterans across product, marketing, analytics, and sales, bringing a holistic perspective to address the entire growth ecosystem from planning to execution.  This is a strategic investment in your company's future. Equip your team with a growth-oriented mindset and gain access to the unmatched expertise of our growth masters. Applications are open, but selection is competitive! Don't miss this chance to propel your brand to the next level. Apply now to secure your spot in this high-impact cohort. [APPLY NOW]( ­ WHAT'S NEW? This week's newsletter is brimming with hot news and emerging trends across social media, tech, and marketing. X to Charge New Users for Posting? Elon Musk is planning to [charge new users a small fee to post on X](, or they can wait for 3 months. This aims to curb their bot influx, although details on fees and rollout are still unclear. Last October, X started charging new unverified users $1 per year in New Zealand and the Philippines, so that might be an indicator on how this might play out.  Gmail was spotted testing a [new "Manage Subscriptions" feature](. Users might soon be able to filter senders by email frequency and unsubscribe easily. While the release date and full impact are still unknown, the future of email marketing is certainly shifting to quality over quantity. [Read on]( and learn how to prepare.  Is Voice The New Reel? Social media explores a new frontier: Talk. [AirChat, a recently relaunched invite-only app](, lets users chat with voice recordings (transcribed for convenience). The asynchronous, threaded format offers a fresh way to connect online, and has reached #27 in the social networking category within 24 hours. Could voice be the next big thing?  The Battle of AI Playlists Heats Up. Just like Spotify, Amazon Music is now testing its own [AI-powered playlist creator called Maestro](. Available to U.S. users on iOS and Android, Maestro lets you create playlists using spoken or written prompts, even including emojis. Meanwhile, Spotify seems to be working on new music editing features that would allow users to [remix their favorite songs](, TikTok style.  Threads is Again Testing the Waters on Current Events. Now they're testing a new search option that lets users [sort results by "Recent,](" a feature key to staying on top of evolving discussions. It seems Meta is carefully testing the waters to find the right balance between user engagement, value delivery, and maintaining Threads' unique identity.  Meta's E[xpands AI Testing Grounds](. In India and Africa, users on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger can now interact with AI chatbots that answer questions and even generate stunningly realistic images based on text descriptions. This isn't all – Meta is also testing integrating this AI directly into the Instagram search bar, potentially creating a one-stop shop for both AI-powered conversations and content discovery.  Microsoft Tests [Ads in Windows 11 Start Menu](. Microsoft is dipping its toes into in-system advertising again. They've begun testing ads for Microsoft Store apps within the "Recommended" section of the Windows 11 Start menu for Beta Channel users in the US. It'll be interesting to see how users react to this and whether it proves an effective way for Microsoft to promote apps.  Should You Try a Multilingual Approach on Your Ads? TikTok is calling for brands to speak the language of their audience. Their new report shows the booming Hispanic population in the US is highly engaged on social media. By incorporating elements of their language and partnering with local creators, brands can build deeper connections. Read on to learn [how to experiment with multilingual ads](.  TikTok is [Testing AI-Powered Influencers]( to sell products directly in the app. The big question is whether Western audiences, who haven't fully embraced in-app shopping yet, will be receptive.  YouTube's Bolstering In-Stream Shopping for Creators. Creators can now curate "Shopping Collections" and browse brand partnerships through a new Affiliate Hub. Bulk product tagging simplifies video integration. These features might not be groundbreaking, but they signal YouTube's commitment to a more shoppable platform. [Here is a guide]( for how brands can experiment with these features.  Google Ads now [lets you create custom ad visuals with AI]( in Demand Gen Campaigns. Experiment with new concepts, build visuals from scratch or tailor them to specific ad formats. Time to experiment and make your Google Ads shine!  Google Cloud Next wrapped up with a total of 218 announcements, highlighting advancements in generative AI with updates to Gemini Pro 1.5, Imagen 2.0, Vids, and a suite of other AI-powered enhancements. Check out [our recap]( for a deeper dive into Google Cloud's latest innovations.  Want to Dive Deeper? These are just a few of the exciting developments happening in tech this week. [Head over to GrowthHackers Community]( for in-depth discussions, the fool scoop, and the chance to connect with other growth enthusiasts. Ask questions, share your thoughts, and stay ahead of the curve! [GO TO COMMUNITY  ➡️]( ­  COMMUNITY FORUM 🗨️ "We are about 6 weeks away to launching our MVP and looking for advice on whether it is worth starting to create momentum and sign-ups, or wait until MVP is ready?" [Reply](  🗨️"Hi all 👋 I'm looking for some feedback on the launch of our new MVP. I'd love to hear any feedback about the site itself, the product and its potential use cases based on your opinion or understanding of the market, the core messaging/wording used and if any developers are here, the technical aspects including the docs. Any and all feedback is welcome - there's a lot more still to come! Thanks," [Reply](  🗨️ Got a question for community members?[Post a Question](  ­  COMMUNITY POSTS  AirChat: A Growth Story in the Age of Audio - Navigating Pivots and Early Traction AirChat was just dubbed "Silicon Valley’s Latest Obsession". This recently relaunched invite-only app, is a prime example of a platform making waves with a unique audio-based approach. Let's delve into AirChat's growth story from a strategic perspective, exploring its creation, pivot, relaunch, funding, and early adoption, and tell the story of how they climbed to #27 in Social apps in just 24 hours. [READ GROWTH STUDY]( Analyzing Qualitative Research Results Effectively In-depth interviews provide valuable opportunities for product managers to better understand their users’ needs, habits, problems, and expectations. By gaining a detailed understanding of their users, product managers can identify common trends and patterns in user behavior (and important edge cases).  With this information, PMs can test their product hypotheses more effectively, and adapt their products to serve users’ most pressing needs. In some cases, research outcomes might lead a product manager to decide to discontinue a product or feature altogether. [LEARN MORE]( ­  TEAM PICKS 🤓 To Read: This week's good read shout-out goes to [Elena Verna's article about Reverse Trials](.  Find out how it can combine the best from trials and freemium models, and learn how brands like Canva, Notion and Dropbox have used to convert free to paying customers.  🎧 To Listen: Lenny's Podcast just released a must-listen [interview with product management rockstar Claire Vo](, CPO at LaunchDarkly and founder of  ChatPRD, and former CPO at Optimizely. This episode is packed with insights on career planning, maximizing your strengths, navigating large companies, and thriving as a woman in tech.  💭 To Reflect: 🤝 Share the Love: Got a hidden gem that's transforming your growth game? Share the love! Drop your top recommendations at GrowthHackers Community to help a fellow community member level up. [CREATE A POST  ➡️]( ­ GrowthHackers 388 Market St, 1300, 94111, San Francisco [Unsubscribe](