a single source, nothing corroborates it

Give buyers a reason to leave what they use

Being better in the abstract moves nobody: the launch has to name the thing that makes switching worth the disruption. Justin Jackson watched a stream of better-than-the-leader products get released and stall, and points at a dating product whose rationally superior design failed because it removed something users actually wanted. Check desire, not only logic, before you announce.

The method

1. 01

   Ship something that gives people a strong enough reason to abandon their current tool, or every other advantage you hold is wasted.

2. 02

   Your product and brand have to give buyers in that category a concrete reason to switch away from what they already use.

3. 03

   Drop the positioning of being a better version of an existing product, since those launches routinely go nowhere.

4. 04

   A rationally superior design can fail if it strips out something users actively want, so check desire and not just logic before launching.

What it returned

• Justin points at the recurring pitches to build a better Basecamp or a better email client, which get released and stall.

• Dating Ring launched without profile photos, having found through experiments that group blind dates worked best; signups suffered because people wanted to see matches, and the company had to relaunch with photo uploads and preference controls.

Sources

• Necessary but not sufficientJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · Necessary but not sufficient · undated
• "People need my product!" (But do they want it?)Justin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · How does this apply to building a software product? · undated
• The Hierarchy of Needs for new Product IdeasJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · The founder has ideas, a brand, or a implementation that resonates · undated
• What the People of Wal-Mart wantJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · People don't want always want the "better" solution · undated