In today’s crowded digital landscape, to make a product go viral, you need to have a deep understanding of how humans think, behave, and connect. Virality was once reserved only for B2C products. We have all seen countless videos of cats, dance challenges, and lifestyle hacks designed to spread like wildfire. Now, B2B products have also started to crack the code. Especially in places like productivity, collaboration, and workflow tools, smart B2B products are going viral by design and not by chance. The rise of tools like Slack and Figma shows us that if your product makes people more effective and makes teams work together better, users will naturally want to share it.
How to engineer for virality?
For any product to gain traction, especially through word-of-mouth, it must tap into deep-seated human motivations that drive sharing behavior. These user behaviors help us shape our product adoption strategies. It’s important to note that viral products don’t just deliver functionality – they make people feel something, solve real problems, and earn a spot in their social identity.
The core motivations that drive sharing:
1. Does it solve my problem? (functional value)
At the foundation of any shareable product lies utility. People love products that improve an aspect of their lives. It could be saved time, reduced friction or even better outcomes. People naturally recommend products that intuitively and powerfully solve real, painful problems for them.
Key Questions:
- Does this make my life simpler?
- Is it free? Is it open-source?
- Is this a better alternative to what I used before?
Example: PayPal’s viral adoption was due to its functionality. Paypal’s payment mechanism was safer and efficient than the existing alternatives, and naturally, people loved it.
2. Does it make me feel good? (social value)
People adopt and share tools that elevate their social status. Whether that’s being seen as productive, in-the-know, creative, or cutting-edge, Products that signal intelligence, taste, or exclusivity ride on subtle social cues and boost share-worthiness.
Key Questions:
- Do I seem smart or efficient by using this?
- Will my peers respect or adopt this if I use this?
- Does this align with how I want to be perceived?
Example: The app GAS (launched in Aug 2022 and acquired by Discord in Jan 2023) became a viral hit among teens by amplifying positive peer validation. It is essentially social status on steroids. It reached 1M DAU in just 2 months.
3. Does it delight me? (emotional trigger)
Emotion is the fastest route to sharing. When a product sparks delight, nostalgia, surprise, or joy, people instinctively want to pass it on. The emotional aftertaste of a product experience is what drives word-of-mouth far more than features.
Key Questions:
- Does this give me a small emotional lift?
- Do I smile or feel inspired when I use/recommend it?
- Is there an “aha” moment that I want my friends to experience?
Example: Cluely (formerly Interview Coder) went viral after its founder live-recorded an Amazon interview, showcasing how to discreetly use AI for acing the interview process. The bold demo struck a chord with job seekers, and the buzz helped Cluely raise $15M from Andreessen Horowitz, and they are currently valued at $120M. From initial demo to Series A with a16z, all within 6 months.
4. Does it help me to express myself? (Identity expression)
People adopt and spread products that help them send signals about who they are or who they aspire to be. Whether you’re a minimalist, a first principles thinker, a Gen-Z creator, or a design purist, tools that serve as a medium for self-expression tend to create loyal tribes.
Key Questions:
- Does this product affect my values, or is it aesthetically pleasing?
- Is this something my community or group uses?
- Can I customize it to “make it mine”?
Example: The rise of vibecoding using AI tools is driven heavily by identity expression. Products like Lovable, Bolt, and Cursor empower users to build quickly and beautifully, reflecting their personal branding and professional identity.
5. What do I gain from sharing? (shareability)
Finally, virality is often designed, and it is not accidental. Tools that naturally lend themselves to sharing lower the friction and help increase the spread. Built-in share loops, such as referrals, public templates, or social embeds, act as accelerants.
Key Questions:
- How easy is it to onboard? Is it a 1-step process or a 14-step process?
- Do I benefit directly from inviting others?
- Does sharing feel like a natural next step?
Example: Dropbox introduced a two-sided referral system to grow by 3900% in just 15 months.
Enough with all the theory, let’s explore this practically with a case study.
Case Study: Notion vs Zoom Docs
Let’s take the evolving space of collaboration tools like Notion, Coda, Google Workspace, and now the emerging Zoom Docs. Let’s zoom in on Notion and Zoom Docs and see how they stack up against the motivator scale.
Notion: Notion is an all-in-one workspace designed for teams and individuals to write, plan, and collaborate. With over 30M users and 4M paying customers, it has built a cult-like following and is currently valued at $10B.
Zoom Docs: Launched in August 2024, Zoom Docs is Zoom’s entry into the all-in-one workspace
Comparison between Notion and Zoom Docs:
| Aspect | Notion | Zoom Docs |
|---|---|---|
| ICP at a glance | Persona: 25–40 year olds. Students, startup teams, creators. Problem: Fragmented tools across docs, tasks, wikis, and databases Goal: Organize your work and life in one place | Persona: 25–50 year olds. Mid-to-large enterprise teams. Problem: Need for efficiency and disconnected workflows. Goal: Boost productivity with AI-first docs that adapt to different personal and team needs |
| Functional Value (Does it solve my problem?) | 4/5 + All-in-one workspace; highly customizable; multiple integrations – takes time to organize. | 3/5 + All-in-one workspace; Suitable for every role (HR, Product, Marketing, etc); converts meeting into a collaboration workspace, no friction onboarding. – Integrations evolving |
| Social Value (Does it make me feel good?) | 5/5 + Signals creativity; vocal power users. | 2/5 – Currently lacks distinct social appeal; lacks traction or rewards for power users |
| Emotional Value (Does it delight me?) | 5/5 + Highly personalized; evokes a sense of ownership. | 2/5 – Emotionally neutral; tied closely to routine workflows. |
| Identity Expression (Does it help me to express myself?) | 5/5 + Appeals to builders, creatives, and productivity enthusiasts; has very strong user community | 2/5 – Still forming a user identity; no distinct community or narrative yet |
| Ease of Shareability (What do I gain from sharing?) | 4/5 + Rich ecosystem of templates, embeddables, and community content. | 3/5 + Easy to share within Zoom meetings – Limited reach outside Zoom’s ecosystem |
The Verdict:
Total Score: Notion: 23/25; Zoom Docs: 12/25.
Zoom Docs “clearly” does not have the viral edge incorporated into it yet.
Conclusion: Can you make Zoom Docs viral?
Yes. Absolutely. Zoom Docs can be engineered for virality by aligning its Product and GTM strategy with the core behavioral drivers of virality.
A few tactics are:
- Anchor to Zoom’s core strength: Zoom owns the meeting space. Position Zoom Docs as the natural extension of the meeting where conversations turn into structured, living documents without friction. This isn’t just another doc tool; it’s the continuation of the meeting.
- Design for delight: Build micro-experiences that feel magical. For example, automatically organizing 1:1 meeting notes by date, linking past meeting threads, or surfacing decisions – all without the user lifting a finger. These thoughtful touches can turn routine documentation into a delightful habit.
- Own a persona: Instead of going all-in, zero in on meeting heavy personas like Project Managers. Empower them to bring their teams back again and again by creating built-in viral loops. You can create deep usage, create stickiness, form habits, and turn these power users into champions.
As you can see, any product can be engineered for virality by fine-tuning against the motivator scale. So, are you ready to make your product go viral?
Need help with your Product/GTM strategy? Let’s talk — info@stratola.com