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20VC: Inside Bending Spoons Acquisition Machine: Evernote, Eventbrite, Vimeo | How Evernote Evaluates Acquisitions and New Product Ideas | How Evernote Mastered Product Launches, User Retention and Monetisation with Federico Simionato

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

Pins

20VC: Inside Bending Spoons Acquisition Machine: Evernote, Eventbrite, Vimeo | How Evernote Evaluates Acquisitions and New Product Ideas | How Evernote Mastered Product Launches, User Retention and Monetisation with Federico Simionato

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Dec 05

20VC: Inside Bending Spoons Acquisition Machine: Evernote, Eventbrite, Vimeo | How Evernote Evaluates Acquisitions and New Product Ideas | How Evernote Mastered Product Launches, User Retention and Monetisation with Federico Simionato

20VC: Inside Bending Spoons Acquisition Machine: Evernote, Eventbrite, Vimeo | How Evernote Evaluates Acquisitions and New Product Ideas | How Evernote Mastered Product Launches, User Retention and Monetisation with Federico Simionato

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Dec 05

Overview Shownote Highlights Transcript Chapters Pins

Shownote

Bending Spoons is the acquisition machine of the tech world. They have acquired the likes of Evernote, Vimeo, Eventbrite, Streamyard and more. However, they never open their gates to the secrets behind Evernote's product machine. Today that changes with Fe...

Highlights

Federico Simionato, a long-time Product Lead at Bending Spoons, opens up about the inner workings of one of tech’s most strategic acquisition companies. With experience shaping products at Evernote and WeTransfer, he shares rare insights into how data, design, and user trust drive product evolution in high-stakes environments.

02:15

Running 26 experiments helped Revolut determine where to allocate resources effectively.

07:51

Greenfield projects rarely succeed even with analytical planning

21:31

Building products for both advanced and casual users is difficult — choose the target arena first.

28:30

AI allows designers to build prototypes faster, reducing the gap between design and engineering.

31:19

Small, well-communicated weekly improvements are preferred over large, infrequent launches

35:00

User feedback directly reflects reality and should guide product decisions.

36:38

Focus on shipped or launching features, not future plans, to build user trust.

38:08

Games can be played for years after one purchase, unlike movies on Netflix

45:24

Shared services allow product teams to remain lean, as seen with Evernote's reduction to under 100 employees

55:38

Hybrid work is a good mix of remote and in-person, offering flexibility.

1:02:52

I would start a Neuralink competitor or work on it if I weren't afraid of failure

Chapters

Product Strategy at Bending Spoons

00:00

From Dentist Games to $11BN Bending Spoons

03:02

Advice for Aspiring Product Managers

04:54

Building a Coveted Brand at Bending Spoons

05:38

Evaluating and Testing New Product Ideas

07:43

How Evernote has Mastered User Retention

13:35

The Impact of AI on Product Design and Prototyping

25:24

How Bending Spoons Does Product Launches and Lessons Learned

31:19

How Every Product Team Should Do Monthly Updates to Users

33:27

Recording and Transparency in Updates

36:38

Lessons from Failed Product Launches

38:06

Structuring Teams and Acquisitions

45:14

Monetization Strategies and Push Notifications

47:12

Quick Fire Round: Insights and Reflections

57:21

Transcript

Harry Stebbings: This is 20 Product with me Harry Stebbings. Now, 20 Product is the monthly show where we sit down with the best product and design leaders of our time. Today is a very special show. Bending Spoons is on an absolute tear. Last month, they a...