HACKER Q&A
📣 nicola_alessi

What makes you follow and engage with a new product?


Hey HN,

I'm preparing to launch a new product soon, and I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes people truly engage with a product when they first discover it. Not just upvoting or signing up, but actually following along, giving feedback, and becoming part of its early community.

Is it the problem it solves? The way the founder shares the journey? A particular feature or approach that hooks you? Something else? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences—especially from those who’ve built or launched products before. What worked (or didn’t) for you?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

  👤 anenefan Accepted Answer ✓
Either fills a void of existing products or service market or similar to existing but cost effective. I'd also add it should meet or has an acceptable ratio of the complexity of its usage vs result, outcome or output, is not heavier on the users equipment than what should be expected, and makes it very clear what users should be interested in the product. Interest soon fizzles once after the prospective user has invested attention, and then finds their equipment doesn't / was never going to meet requirements to utilise it. So unless it's really something, those users are not hanging around on the chance an updated version will fix some oversight or unforeseen issue like full usability actually relies on a resource that's actually behind a wall not all users have access to - unwitting closed environment scenario - generally most users will assume the closed environment was deliberate.