6 ms·

Warning Signs That Your Product Sucks

52 points by ruang 16y ago

kordless 16y ago
Is there a corollary for this that includes the 3 warning signs your blog post sucks?
- dcancel 16y ago
  If there is I haven't found it yet. Thanks for checking out my post.
  - nhebb 16y ago
    To be honest, your post was just OK, but it lead me to your button generator (http://www.performable.com/buttons/ http://www.performable.com/buttons/), which is hands down the best online button generator I've come across. [insert lame cancel button pun here.]
    - dcancel 16y ago
      I love the critical feedback! Would love some on how we can make the button generator better.
      - bigiain 16y ago
        I'd love to see some data showing what the most popular calls at action you're seeing are...
      - Deestan 16y ago
        Having the "Yes, send me product updates (big improvements coming) & marketing tips!" checkbox enabled by default gives off a bad smell. It is the little brother of e-commerce sites that sneak stuff into your cart when you aren't looking. Let subscriptions be an active decision instead of an accident.
allwein 16y ago
I really wish the author had mentioned the name of the app with the sucky UI. I would love to take a crack at implementing a competing program with an awesome UI so I could completely own that market.
- Estragon 16y ago
  Yeah, I came over here to say exactly the same thing.
- cwbrandsma 16y ago
  Well, if that is all it takes to dominate the market. We can narrow down the app with sucky UI to only every application on the market since the existence of software. Pick one you find interesting and go with it.
- revorad 16y ago
  There's more to owning a market than just a slick UI.
  - ataranto 16y ago
    True, but not much more.
- teej 16y ago
  It's gotta be JIRA or AdWords. Those are the two most widespread apps with crappy UI that Performable is likely to use.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
  - joshwa 16y ago
    Have you tried Greenhopper? Atlassian bought them-- I couldn't bear to use JIRA without it.
  - gxti 16y ago
    Odd, I must be the only person on the planet who actually likes JIRA. Probably because my point of reference is Bugzilla.
neovive 16y ago
Although solving a critical problems is a significant advantage (especially in the b2b market), I think it is also possible to establish a business based on adding-value or improving upon various aspects of a business or consumer experience. Add-ons to existing products and web apps that simplify a more complicated workflow are good examples. I find that much of the functionality of many successful web apps can be replicated in a spreadsheet, but the added value of the time savings, improved functionality and simplified workflow make the web app worth the price (although not necessarily critical).
brlewis 16y ago
The warning signs are people saying "I'd use your product if..." OK, but what if people use and like your product for years, but it still spreads slowly?
- pmjordan 16y ago
  Broadly speaking, your market might be too small (-> grow your product into a larger, related market) or your marketing might be inadequate (failing to increase your share in your current market) or the competition is better in some way.
hopeless 16y ago
I've learnt from experience that there's another warning sign: Silence. If no one is making suggestions, complaining, or promoting your product then it indicates apathy. Which means that you aren't solving a critical problem
- ruang 16y ago
  Reminds me of the saying: the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.
chadmalik 16y ago
This is an interesting blog post because I've noticed that often the apps that solve the most "mission-critical" problems have the worst UIs. Maybe its the complexity of the task as much as lack of effort? I'm not sure. On the other hand the most beautiful UIs are often on top of apps solving extremely trivial problems.
- blacksmythe 16y ago
  More likely you keep working on your UI until you get traction. If you are solving a real problem, you can get traction while your UI is not very good.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
ryanelkins 16y ago
What if your product is just not critical? Is that a terrible thing? I can't imagine every application is absolutely critical to an operation. I would argue that most B2Cs and a good percentage of B2Bs are not critical software, but many of them do just fine.
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  For example, if your product or app is a game. "I’m really busy right now but I’ll start using your GAME soon" I'm sure every game developer would like to make a game that people play even when they can't afford to spend the time playing it, but because they don't doesn't mean their game sucks.
losethos 16y ago
I'm like dead and across the river styx or something. I've not been in kansas anymore for many years. No surprise I can't reach the land of the living, or something like that. Mental health problems are a sign of low IQ. How about this one coming from the radio "Terry if the radio is talking with you, you should see a doctor." This clown who wrote this story thinks I'm a moron! You are talking to me, indicating reality distortion while telling me I'm delusional. I might not be the smartest guy, but I see a logical bug. Life's nice this side of Styx. Kick-back talk with God and live in the center of the Universe. It'd be hilarious to spend real money on advertising meant for the living! Nope, fix reality before worrying about product quality or whatever! Reality fix must come first. That's what's broken. God says... concludeth slaying bottomless Be

52 points by ruang 16y ago

kordless 16y ago

Is there a corollary for this that includes the 3 warning signs your blog post sucks?

dcancel 16y ago
If there is I haven't found it yet. Thanks for checking out my post.
- nhebb 16y ago
  To be honest, your post was just OK, but it lead me to your button generator (http://www.performable.com/buttons/ http://www.performable.com/buttons/), which is hands down the best online button generator I've come across. [insert lame cancel button pun here.]
  - dcancel 16y ago
    I love the critical feedback! Would love some on how we can make the button generator better.
    - bigiain 16y ago
      I'd love to see some data showing what the most popular calls at action you're seeing are...
    - Deestan 16y ago
      Having the "Yes, send me product updates (big improvements coming) & marketing tips!" checkbox enabled by default gives off a bad smell. It is the little brother of e-commerce sites that sneak stuff into your cart when you aren't looking. Let subscriptions be an active decision instead of an accident.

allwein 16y ago

I really wish the author had mentioned the name of the app with the sucky UI. I would love to take a crack at implementing a competing program with an awesome UI so I could completely own that market.

Estragon 16y ago
Yeah, I came over here to say exactly the same thing.
cwbrandsma 16y ago
Well, if that is all it takes to dominate the market. We can narrow down the app with sucky UI to only every application on the market since the existence of software. Pick one you find interesting and go with it.
revorad 16y ago
There's more to owning a market than just a slick UI.
- ataranto 16y ago
  True, but not much more.
teej 16y ago
It's gotta be JIRA or AdWords. Those are the two most widespread apps with crappy UI that Performable is likely to use.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- joshwa 16y ago
  Have you tried Greenhopper? Atlassian bought them-- I couldn't bear to use JIRA without it.
- gxti 16y ago
  Odd, I must be the only person on the planet who actually likes JIRA. Probably because my point of reference is Bugzilla.

neovive 16y ago

Although solving a critical problems is a significant advantage (especially in the b2b market), I think it is also possible to establish a business based on adding-value or improving upon various aspects of a business or consumer experience. Add-ons to existing products and web apps that simplify a more complicated workflow are good examples. I find that much of the functionality of many successful web apps can be replicated in a spreadsheet, but the added value of the time savings, improved functionality and simplified workflow make the web app worth the price (although not necessarily critical).

brlewis 16y ago

The warning signs are people saying "I'd use your product if..." OK, but what if people use and like your product for years, but it still spreads slowly?

pmjordan 16y ago
Broadly speaking, your market might be too small (-> grow your product into a larger, related market) or your marketing might be inadequate (failing to increase your share in your current market) or the competition is better in some way.

hopeless 16y ago

I've learnt from experience that there's another warning sign: Silence. If no one is making suggestions, complaining, or promoting your product then it indicates apathy. Which means that you aren't solving a critical problem

ruang 16y ago
Reminds me of the saying: the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.

chadmalik 16y ago

This is an interesting blog post because I've noticed that often the apps that solve the most "mission-critical" problems have the worst UIs. Maybe its the complexity of the task as much as lack of effort? I'm not sure. On the other hand the most beautiful UIs are often on top of apps solving extremely trivial problems.

blacksmythe 16y ago
More likely you keep working on your UI until you get traction. If you are solving a real problem, you can get traction while your UI is not very good.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

ryanelkins 16y ago

What if your product is just not critical? Is that a terrible thing? I can't imagine every application is absolutely critical to an operation. I would argue that most B2Cs and a good percentage of B2Bs are not critical software, but many of them do just fine.

sliverstorm 16y ago
For example, if your product or app is a game. "I’m really busy right now but I’ll start using your GAME soon" I'm sure every game developer would like to make a game that people play even when they can't afford to spend the time playing it, but because they don't doesn't mean their game sucks.

losethos 16y ago

I'm like dead and across the river styx or something. I've not been in kansas anymore for many years. No surprise I can't reach the land of the living, or something like that. Mental health problems are a sign of low IQ. How about this one coming from the radio "Terry if the radio is talking with you, you should see a doctor." This clown who wrote this story thinks I'm a moron! You are talking to me, indicating reality distortion while telling me I'm delusional. I might not be the smartest guy, but I see a logical bug. Life's nice this side of Styx. Kick-back talk with God and live in the center of the Universe. It'd be hilarious to spend real money on advertising meant for the living! Nope, fix reality before worrying about product quality or whatever! Reality fix must come first. That's what's broken. God says... concludeth slaying bottomless Be