On irrationality

Even if you build the perfect product, many people who might benefit from it will not use it. There's absolutely no reason why they don't. They just don't.

This guy standing before me in Starbucks just ordered a coffee, pulled out his transferwise card from his wallet, and paid. He could have paid with the iPhone he's holding or the Apple watch I can see him wearing. It would have been more convenient. But he didn't. It boggles the mind... 🤯

You have to understand that every time he opens the transferwise app, it harasses him to add his card to his Apple wallet. Sometimes he gets a push notification about that. It's free and more secure than using his normal card. He's in his twenties so he definitely knows about it. He just doesn't use it. There's plenty of reason for him to use it. But he just doesn't.

I see it all the time. I have to admit that it always agitates me. I often feel the urge to swiftly slap these bastards with the back of the hand, shake them vigorously, and give them a talking-to. I haven't had the chance yet.

I guess it bothers me because I know what it feels like to build something and have people not use it for no apparent reason.

In a product meeting, people like me discuss: "Why aren't we getting more users?" The answer is usually to build more features, a better UX if you're a designer, and better coms if you're a marketer. Sometimes we decide to pivot or target different people.

But reality says that maybe there's nothing missing. Maybe it just needs more time to sink in.

If an iPhoned person in their twenties with a transferwise card doesn't use Apple Pay, no wonder many people won't consider our obscure software that's barely useful, known, or relevant.