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Derrick continues to talk with customers and gain insights about a team communication and management tool he is developing called, Level. Derrick is developing personal connections with people interested in his mission, and his conversations with customers is reinforcing patterns.

Today, he shares the main problems with \\u201cChat\\u201d functionality and why people are frustrated with the tools they use today. He is exploring possible solutions for Level to replace Slack and other tools. What issues do you experience?

Today\\u2019s Topics Include:

False sense of urgency; Derrick\\u2019s tool would allow you to filter notifications on whether they are urgent or not; and let users view messages at their own pace
\\nChat is like a conveyor belt; if you don\\u2019t pick things up, they are going to fall or you are going to miss them
\\nLack of Decent Threading: People do not find threads useful and difficult to encourage appropriate use of them
\\nNo Mechanism for Tracking State of Conversation: Everything needs to be reviewed to find information and decisions; should offer Open, Closed, Request Review, and On Hold, and other statuses
\\n3 Ways to Structure Messages: 1) Subject and body; 2) Body; or 3) Very small message in infinite timeline
\\nDerrick is clear on problems with existing tools, but less clear on exact solutions
\\nSimple nuances can make a tool friendlier and easier to use - it\\u2019s all in the details
\\nDerrick kicked off the Building Level series
\\nBen and Derrick strategize on the best approach to getting teams to try Level
\\nDerrick is trying to make the barriers to using Level for low
\\nLevel will most likely be an open source product with a commercially hosted version to generate revenue
\\nBen and Derrick discuss when it is the best time to start developing Level publicly
\\nBen decided to say \\u201cNo\\u201d to speaking at MicroConf this year; saying \\u201cNo\\u201d to something, is saying \\u201cNo\\u201d to one thing, saying \\u201cYes\\u201d to something is saying \\u201cNo\\u201d to everything else

If you\\u2019re enjoying the show please give us your ratings and reviews in iTunes.

Ben Orenstein Website; Twitter
\\nDerrick Reimer Website
\\nBuilding Level #1: Idea Validation
\\nTwist
\\nDrip
\\nHipChat
\\nStartup Stories Podcast
\\nStripe
\\nClearbit\\u2019s Reveal
\\nDerek Sivers
\\nMicroConf