You vs your users

You used a web view for your check out flow. It was to help you deploy to multiple platforms using a single codebase. The data analysts were happy; running AB tests would be easier now

You broke your monolithic codebase into micro services. The developers were happy. It was the cool thing to do.

You put a lot of junk text at the bottom of your homepage. It was done for “SEO purpose.”

You kept asking for web push notification permission. Again and again. No one ever clicked on ‘Allow’ though.

You kept popping modal after modal asking for more user info. You needed data to “retarget your users better.”

You asked for card details. Even before the user landed on your homepage.

60% of your users churned.

You sent daily mails to get them back on your app. Then you sent discount codes.

Those were the things you wanted. Not your users. All they ever wanted was a frictionless experience. Ease of use. A product which simply works. Instead you created friction at every step. Tried growth hacks which did not work, scratched your heads wondering why your retention was so low, and tried more growth hacks

Instead of being the champion for your users, you became a mindless feature shipping junkie.

Remember: As a PM your only job is to create a delightful experience for your users. Everything else is secondary. Say this to yourself every day at work. At every meeting where you compromise. Or soon you will have no users to build for

You vs your users was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.