When I read the book and this post, also reading almost all the comments here, I feel like one can just build a survey with direct questions about the assumptions and beliefs and get answers. Why even elbow grease? or do anything else?
Is it that users need to be in the "situation" to really give you correct data driven instinctive answer? While if you ask them a set of questions, the answers might not be correct or they might not answer?
I am sorry but you already had a fan base. So you already had 1000s of users. And you told them before launching this app is coming. How is this not marketing?
This is why I don't like to read and believe things on internet. You leveraged your prior advertising. And the rest of the things you mentioned was basically, build a great product. Everyone here knows that. But we have also heard so many times no product sells itself irrespective of how great.So I don't know what was the point of mentioning all those features etc
You also used SEO tactics to get people find your app. That is also classic internet marketing
The article is sad but true. However, #3 is gives the most ROI from an interviewee perspective. It is not scalable for an interviewee to try going to lots of tech meetups or conferences just to network with as many potential hiring managers. One does not even know if they are hiring or not and if there is an open position.
Also if one has a current job and looking to switch it is even more less scalable as there is not enough time to do all these shenanigans.
Of course if you have the connection go leverage it...
I think for the better good we should encourage #3 as that is the right fair approach where talent and skill set is at stake and not whether one had the time and money to go to a conference/tech meetup.
I am sorry but OP is missing the point here. A good speaker knows his audience and hence prepares his talk accordingly. If it is techies, he should put for technical content which stimulates their brain. If it is children of the 3rd grade, he should know to keep it light and crack jokes or tell stories. A good speaker will change his speech depending on how dumb or intelligent the audience is. Thats his trait. Now if he has a large and varied audience, this task gets a lot harder, but then again there is a trend in the audience.
I think the most ideal would be a desk which can be moved up or down via a mechanical handle bar. I have seen them in practice. That way if you get too tired you can lower it and sit.
Also I should add, you might want to take pictures of yourself or your friends in the foreground. That's what personalizes a photo for MOST people. imho.