Most users don’t care about your product.
That might sound harsh, but hear me out. For the vast majority of people, your app is just another utility — something they open, tap around in, and close without a second thought. And yet, if you’re building a an app with more than a few hundred users, you’re probably relying on those users’ data to shape your product.
Here’s the problem: when you optimise based on the average user, you end up designing for indifference.
Metrics Can Mislead
Analytics tools are great at showing you the big picture: retention curves, session lengths, click-through rates. But these numbers are aggregates. They reflect the behavior of everyone, not the insight of anyone.
The enthusiasts — your power users — get lost in that noise. And they matter more than you think. Listen to the Tastemakers.
Superusers Set the Tone
Every category has its enthusiasts. Experts. Car fanatics. Audiophiles. Cinephiles. People who care deeply about the thing you’ve built. They might be only 1–2% of your user base, but their influence is huge. They write the reviews, start the trends, and shape the tastes of everyone else.
Think about web browsers. Most people didn’t switch from Internet Explorer to Firefox or Chrome on their own. They followed the advice of the person in their life who knew browsers. The enthusiast.
It’s the same with music apps, social platforms, even job boards. If your product starts to frustrate the people who care about it most, they’ll move on. And eventually, everyone else will too.
Case in Point: Spotify and LinkedIn
Spotify used to be a great music player. Now it’s a content feed wrapped around a playback button. By chasing engagement metrics — likes, shares, playlists per session — it’s become less useful for serious music lovers. The enthusiasts are slipping away.
LinkedIn has drifted too. It’s optimised so aggressively for views and impressions that it’s now more about personal branding videos than meaningful professional networking. The job-seeking and hiring experience has taken a backseat.
These aren’t just UX complaints — they’re symptoms of a deeper issue: designing around engagement, not value.
Build for Enthusiasts, and Others Will Follow
If you focus on what the median user wants, you’ll likely converge on a product that shoves content into people’s faces. That might drive short-term numbers. But it’s not a path to long-term loyalty or cultural relevance.
Instead, build for the users who know your product best. Talk to them. Watch how they use your app. Look for the friction points they hit, not just the features they ignore. If you delight them, others will follow.
Not because you gamed the system, but because you built something worth recommending.