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In the world of product design, there's a simple yet powerful philosophy: the user is never wrong. This idea is not just a catchy phrase—it's a guiding principle that can transform the way products are developed and how they interact with users. Aravind Srinivas, a tech innovator, shared a personal story that highlights the importance of this mindset.
A Lesson from My Mom
Aravind's mom isn't a native English speaker, yet she uses Perplexity, a search engine that relies on understanding the user's intent to deliver relevant results. One day, she mentioned that the answers she was getting weren't quite what she was looking for. Aravind’s first reaction was to think that maybe she hadn’t phrased her question correctly. But then, a realization hit him—was it really her fault? Shouldn't the product be smart enough to understand her intent, no matter how the query was phrased?
This realization is at the core of the philosophy that the user is never wrong. It’s not about blaming the user for not using the product “correctly.” Instead, it’s about designing a product that understands the user’s needs and delivers the right answers, even when the input isn’t perfect.
The Google vs. Excite Story
Aravind also shared a story that Larry Page, co-founder of Google, often tells. In the early days of Google, they tried to sell their search engine to Excite, a popular search engine at the time. During the demo, both search engines were tested with the same query—something simple, like "university." Google returned results with top universities like Stanford and Michigan, while Excite gave random and irrelevant results.
The CEO of Excite brushed it off, suggesting that if the query had been phrased differently, Excite would have done just as well. But this missed the point entirely. The user shouldn’t have to adapt to the product; the product should adapt to the user. The best products are those that consistently deliver high-quality results, regardless of how the user interacts with them.
Building Products that Anticipate Needs
Taking this philosophy further, Aravind believes that the best products are those that can anticipate what a user needs, sometimes even before the user realizes it themselves. It’s about creating an experience so seamless and intuitive that the user gets exactly what they need without even asking for it.
In today’s fast-paced world, where technology is becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives, the user is never wrong philosophy is more relevant than ever. It’s not just about creating products that work—it’s about creating products that truly understand and serve the user, no matter who they are or how they interact with the product.
By embracing this mindset, companies can build products that aren’t just good, but truly great—products that people love to use because they feel understood, valued, and, most importantly, never wrong.
Listen to him:
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