Gaurav Dewani

the golden rule of product

The golden rule of product is to enable users to complete their goals.

Let's break this down.

  1. Users are humans, i.e complex arrangement of matter.
  2. Humans set goals, thanks to system 2 thinking.
  3. Humans fail to complete goals, thanks to system 1 thinking.

A successful product must therefore prevent humans from failing to complete their goals.

Here's somewhat of a playbook for building a successful product. 🤔

  1. Understand that a fallible human is the user of your product.

  2. Constantly remind yourself of the goal that users set out to complete when they use your product.

  3. Ruthlessly prioritize this core goal. Center every product decision around this goal. Keep the UI minimal. Note that choice overload leads to decision paralysis --> which leads to drop-offs --> which leads to goal failure.

  4. Identify pain points in the core user journey that lead to drop-offs. Look at metrics if available. Talk to the humans using your product. Address the pain point. Repeat.

The ceaseless interplay between system 1 and system 2 thinking means that humans are eternally failing at completing their goals. True product craft lies in understanding how to minimize this dissonance using technology.