Marcus RichardsIt takes time to realize the greatness of innovation or invention. In many cases, it can take generations to reap the rewards of innovation.
Creating software and applications was a dystopian future many decades ago, but now the software entry barriers are lower than ever. Solutions like Replit make it easier for people to code their software and host applications.
The platform enables developers to create small projects conveniently through its advanced and interactive programming language. It is named Replit, wherein the “repl” stands for read-eval-print and loop. There are various templates to choose from because developers can create their Repl in Node, Java, HTML, CSS, Ruby, etc.
Replit is now worth approximately nine hundred million dollars and has become the platform of choice for many to learn coding on. The Replit story of success can be credited to their PLG and user-first approach.
Here is how Replit became a success using the PLG approach.
Focus on learning
You will be surprised to know that almost twenty percent of all the students from Kindergarten to the twelfth standard have participated in at least one of the hack jams, codethon, and other activities on the platform.
The product has more than five million such users who do not use it to create software but to learn the possibilities of software development. Imagine how many lives the platform is transforming by empowering five million young minds.
Moreover, the product will grow and develop to keep them captivated so that they keep on using Repl at every juncture of their life.
Initially, Repl created a version of the product for the schools to conduct coding classes. The product is named Teams for Education and is widely adopted across schools and educational institutions like UCB and MIT. Since they follow the PLG approach, the product is free for the first four months. Later, it opened its doors to a much younger audience by introducing this product.
Moreover, if the school has not invested in the product, one can use their mobile device to access the learning resources at Repl. The platform is home to tutorials in various programming languages. Besides, there are many templates that one can play with to get a hands-on learning experience.
Repl introduced their game creation library where people can program and distribute their games to a larger audience. To promote healthy competition and foster an environment of learning, they also host various competitions.
Focus on product roadmap
The team focuses on improving the product’s functionality to provide more value to the users and enhance the quality. For instance, they partner with various parties to deliver a better experience.
Built a community
Repl is not a platform, but it has become a place for many coding enthusiasts and developers to learn from. Many people use the platform to test and review applications and software by others, which helps build camaraderie.
Empowers the user
Besides accessing learning resources, the users can hop on to the product’s app marketplace to check out user-created APIs and plugins that the Repl users built.
As a platform that has become the go-to place to learn about coding, the Replit story inspires many. The team’s focus is to create the most widespread community by growing its size and engagement rate. Moreover, the platform aims to provide the necessary infrastructure for the coming wave of developers.
