Why Users Hate Your Product (And the Psychology Tricks That Fix It)

Hey, product-preneur!

Your users aren't lazy, they're just drowning in your good intentions.

Every feature you add to "help" them is actually triggering their brain's shutdown sequence. BeReal hit 10 million users with one simple feature while feature-heavy competitors burned through millions in funding and died in obscurity. ChatGPT captured 100 million users in 2 months with nothing but a text box.

They didn't just build simpler products. They weaponized psychology to make decision-making effortless.

What's bubbling in this week's potion:

• The Choice Paralysis Trap: Why Hick's Law proves every added option increases decision time by 38%—and how to use constraint as a conversion weapon instead of fighting it.

• The 7±2 Cognitive Limit: The neurological reason your users' brains literally shut down when overwhelmed, and the ruthless audit system that strips products down to pure conversion gold.

• The Path-of-Least-Resistance Design: How successful products feel "boringly simple" on purpose, and the 3-step system to remove friction without removing value.

First time reading?

Potion of the Week

The $10 Million Mistake I Almost Made

Last week I caught myself adding a "quick feature" to my upcoming Clarity Kit. Just one more option. One more pathway. One more way to help people get unstuck.

Then I realized I was doing exactly what kills most digital products: drowning users in choice while convincing myself I was being "helpful."

Sound familiar? We've all been there—the creative who thinks more features = more value. Plot twist: your users' brains are actively fighting against you.

Why Your Brain Sabotages Simple

Here's the uncomfortable truth: your users don't want options. They want clarity.

When faced with too many choices, our brains literally shut down. It's called analysis paralysis, and it's not a character flaw; it's hardwired into how we process information.

The psychology is brutal but predictable:

• Hick's Law: Decision time increases logarithmically with options (every added choice = 38% longer decision time)

• Miller's Rule: We can only hold 7±2 items in working memory before cognitive overload

• Tesler's Law: Complexity never disappears—it either lives in your product or transfers to your user

The result? Users bounce, conversions tank, and you're left wondering why your "feature-rich" product feels like a ghost town.

The Simplicity Advantage

Look at recent product wins and losses:

BeReal exploded to 10M+ users with one feature: post a photo at the same time daily. No filters, no editing, no endless options. Meanwhile, countless feature-heavy social apps died in obscurity.

Notion initially struggled with 20+ use cases crammed into one interface. Their breakthrough? Focusing their onboarding on three core workflows. User activation increased 60%.

ChatGPT could have launched with 47 different AI models and configurations. Instead: one text box, one clear purpose. Result: 100M users in 2 months.

The pattern is clear: constraint creates conversion.

The Simplicity Serum

The 3-Step Simplicity System

Here's how to weaponize psychology instead of fighting it like you’re punching a brick wall:

1. The One-Thing Audit

Ask: "If users could only do ONE thing in my product, what would it be?"Strip everything else. Be ruthless.

AI Prompt: "I'm designing [describe your product]. List the top 3 core actions users need. Then rank them by frequency and importance. Give me one primary action to focus on."

2. The 7±2 Rule Test

Count every button, menu item, and option on your main screen. If it's over 7, you're cognitively overloading users.

Quick Fix: Group related actions under single labels. "Account Settings" beats "Profile, Billing, Notifications, Security, Preferences."

3. The Path-of-Least-Resistance Design

Map your user's journey from landing to core value. Every extra click is a conversion killer.

AI Prompt: "Analyze this user flow: [describe your steps]. Identify unnecessary friction points and suggest a streamlined 3-step path to value."

The Minimalist Mindset Shift

Stop asking "What else can I add?" Start asking "What can I remove?"

Your users came for a solution, not a Swiss Army knife. The most successful digital products feel almost boringly simple. And that's exactly why they win.

Your Simplicity Challenge

Before you add another feature, ask yourself:

• Does this serve my ONE core promise?

• Would removing this make the product clearer or more confusing?

• Am I adding this for users or for my own creative satisfaction?

Your turn:

Reply or leave a comment, and I'll respond with something valuable. I swear!

Ready to turn your scattered ideas into a focused money machine?

Schedule your Clarity to Cash consultation today, and I'll identify the issues hindering your business. Together, we'll create a prioritized action plan, working weekly for a month to ensure you have a clear path forward without the burden of overthinking. If you don't find value in our first session, I'll refund your money.

Corking Things Up

Here are some ways I can help

Idea-to-Offer Clarity Kit — a tool to help you cut through the chaos, pick one aligned idea, and start building with confidence.

Async Potion Review — a quick product teardown that includes a 15m Loom walkthrough and a one-page action plan, delivered within 48hr. If I can’t surface three actionable quick wins, you’ll be credited toward a live strategy call.

Don’t miss me too much, I’ll see ya next week! 👋 

— Dana

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