Ps: That’s just a little sneak peak about the concept, will write a longer version soon
Most products don’t fail because they’re bad.
They fail because the end user struggles to see the value.
Marketing matters — we can’t deny it — it’s what gets users to try your product in the first place. But Experience decides whether they stay. And this is exactly where most products fail: the very first impression.
Generally, at T0, the user has zero context, limited patience, low interest. If he is stuck testing your new tool, he won’t bother himself finding solutions, he drops the product immediately. As long as he doesn’t see why he would need such a thing, there is nothing that would make him struggle to use it.
Here comes the 5 minutes rule.
Better value, sooner safer happier. — Jon Smart —
To understand this concept, let’s take an example of a web-app that converts word to pdf (classic problem). I am a user, I googled for — word to pdf — and eventually got a bunch of options to choose from. Clicked on a random site that looks good enough, and once I land on the home page, I am asked to sign up. Default behavior; checking another option. I didn’t get enough time to actually sense the value that this website is giving me. That’s what the rule states; deliver value as quickly as possible, minimize initial expenses, and smoothly spread costs over time. Same thing may be applied to developer tools. You built an installable solution, reduce complexities, provide one link installer, give default configuration. Again, for example, I want to learn python, don’t force me to make decisions before installing it(because I don’t know anything about it — yet — obviously). Give me defaults.
In a nutshell, your product should have:
Time-to-Value:
Immediate visible result
First success without reading docs
No tutorial blocking usage
One obvious action, not many
“Undo” available to reduce fear
Cognitive Load:
Remove decisions, give defaults
Hide advanced features initially
No unexplained abbreviations
No magic behavior without explanation
Reduce context switching
Another important parameter — one that exists even before a product is published — is trust.
At the product level, trust starts with simple but critical details: ask for minimal permissions, explain why access is needed, avoid surprising behavior, and respect established standards (for example, pressing the space bar pauses a video). These small signals shape how safe and reliable a product feels.
But the strongest form of trust is often unconscious, and this is where personal branding plays a key role.
Think about any domain — Cloud, Data, AI, Food. One name usually comes to mind immediately, without effort. You don’t actively decide to trust it; it simply feels familiar.
This kind of trust is rarely created by a single product. It is built over time through consistent presence. By writing posts, sharing opinions, creating videos, speaking at events, or contributing to the community, you start associating your name with a specific space. So when you eventually release a product, users don’t start from zero. They try it with an existing sense of confidence.
Once a user is genuinely onboarded and starts seeing real value, the next challenge is retention: turning the product into something they use every day — a true must-have tool.
When AI assistants first appeared, most of them offered a free way to try/ use the product — and they still offer it till now — . That wasn’t accidental. Users needed time to explore, experiment, and slowly integrate the tool into their daily workflow.
This repetition serves two purposes. For the product, it creates continuous feedback and room for improvement. For the user, it builds familiarity and dependence. Over time, the tool stops being something they try — and becomes something they rely on.
Habit is not created by exposure.
It is created by repeated value.
All of these elements work together to shape a successful product. Trust earns the first try, low friction secures the first win, and habit turns occasional usage into dependency. These elements compound over time, and ignoring them early is costly later.