NPLG 2.2.23: PLG + LLMs
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PLG + LLMs: If you are a PLG startup, it’s time to explore LLMs
PLG + LLMs are a match made in heaven. In case you haven’t been following the meteoric rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Large Language Models (LLMs) are powerful machine learning models that can recognize, summarize, translate, predict and generate text and other content based on knowledge gained from massive datasets. Many startups (and incumbents) are utilizing LLMs to build generative user experiences: click a button and the app generates content. I will write more about the intersection of PLG + LLMs in future posts, but there is one important takeaway for today.
Going back to the first NPLG, I outlined four of the foundational characteristics of PLG. One of the most important is:
Immediate product value: the product delivers a magical experience out of the box. The product delivers value before capturing value often through a free trial or freemium pricing model.
From harnessing the power of LLMs, startups can both deliver better product value and deliver it sooner in the user journey. I have the privilege of working with many PLG startups leveraging LLMs, but I want to highlight two examples to that are growing virally from leveraging LLMs: Copy.ai and Tome.
Copy.ai recently launched a new feature where a user can copy the LinkedIn URL of someone they want to contact and Copy.ai will instantaneously write a personalized email and send it. Talk about immediate product value. Copy.ai has now passed 4M users because it is delivering a powerful free service in a few seconds.
Tome is an AI-powered storytelling platform. Tome has been designed from top to bottom to leverage LLMs to make storytelling effortless. You can think of a Tome as a modern slides platform. A free user arrives at Tome and with the click of a button, Tome generates a full presentation (check out the videos below). Users can easily change the tone and content on each slide with a few clicks. Prior to LLMs, if you wanted to create a slide deck, it would take hours and the if you are like me, the design would been underwhelming. Like Copy.ai, Tome is growing rapidly and virally as a PLG product.
The takeaway from today is that PLG + LLMs are a powerful combination to bring users into your product. LLMs don’t guarantee that users will stick around, as you still must build an enduring product experience, but LLMs offer a compelling hook to get users in the front door. I encourage all PLG startups to explore this emerging technology.
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