Listening to Users

Dave Winer:

You only learn where a product needs improvement through serious long-term use. Users gain that kind of experience, but reviewers and pundits generally do not. Their observations tend to be superficial. That’s why reviews written after a few days using a product often miss the mark. The real greatness or lack of greatness in a product doesn’t show up for a few weeks or months. Sometimes even longer.

This was a secret of mine, because most of my competitors not only didn’t listen to their users, but they didn’t even use their own products.

I’m lucky enough to be acquaintances — and in many cases friends — with the developers of many of my most-used apps. And in every single case, they are heavy and devoted users of their own apps.

★ Tuesday, 28 August 2012