Make something people feel.

JV
22 replies
I know we are busy, super busy - I get it. We are all hacking away, working on our projects, which is great. The goal is to hit that sweet spot and really ship something that people want. I've been building products and solving problems for years and one thing that is true for almost any product that I use on the daily, is that - it makes me feel something. Relief, Happiness, more efficient, optimized, better organized, etc. I've been asking myself this question lately: Will the thing I'm building, make people feel something? Curious to see if anyone else is doing this? Spotify makes me feel, all the feels - how about you?

Replies

David Miranda
I like this a lot! I think a lot of entrepreneurs get lost in the tangle of marketing advice and best practices and don't think about this enough. I think the second best way to see if people feel something about your product is to ask them and watch them use it. I think the best way to see if people feel something about your product is to build something you LOVE. I think that's why all the biggest companies these days (Apple, Microsoft, Facebook) started off as a fun hobby that the founder just liked tinkering around with and hacking on.
JV
@panphora yes, I agree. It started off satisfying something for them and it just worked for other as well.
Patrick Burns
YES! If you feel something it means you have an emotional attachment to it. At commons, we think about "feelings over features". People respond more to feelings, features are just a path to get there
JV
@pattyjburns for real, Patrick. Feeling will always win.
Nenad Golubović
There was a (now 6 years old) article on medium about minimum loveable product, I suggest reading. https://medium.com/the-happy-sta...
Zachary Green
making people feel is a fundamental of highly effective marketing
JV
@hatchexa I feel that the website is beautiful.
Mirko Maccarrone
If the producs/services that we create FAIL to trigger an emotional response, they will soon be forgotten! Great post
Darko Williams
I'd say: Make something that makes people feel...accomplished! Make them feel like: Wow, why am I finding now this product exists?
Marisa Harrington
I agree completely! It's important to design a product that makes people feel a sense of accomplishment and success. There's no better feeling than getting success and good use out of a product!
Paul Dupuy Jr
I chose to pursue a startup oriented on "emotional technology" that helps people feel comforted and connected (and loved). We're carrying on despite the difficult climate because we care about people and believe our product can truly help make the world a better place. I'm curious what you think about HeartLight: https://igg.me/at/MyHeartLight
JV
@paul_dupuy_jr I feel it Paul - that is Rad! :)
Agustín Bessa
a good product not only should make people feel when using it, also before using it. Many products what are selling is "the dream of..."
Bryan Ho
I believe all products which have any product-market fit makes people feel. We've found better and better ways of explaining it, finding it etc. but I believe in the end that is what we as makers aspire to. It may not always be the most intense cry-in-the-rain feeling, but even the passing thought that "I am glad this exists" or even "that's cool" is something I definitely aim for as well when I build and hack away. Products like that for me are Youtube ("wow, I can't believe all this information is free for me") and AWS ("I can really start anything so simply and with low capital").
JV
@bryanhojianan 100% man - I totally agree. I don't personally believe all products which have any product-market fit makes people feel something, but I can see your point on that and I have love for it.