Above: The horseless carriage (known here as a motor carriage) as the ultimate example of the adjective+noun product description. Positioned against h

Why your product idea sounds too complicated

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2024-11-15 22:30:04

Above: The horseless carriage (known here as a motor carriage) as the ultimate example of the adjective+noun product description. Positioned against horses!

SIMPLE (and easiest to understand): The product can be described in 2 words as [adjective] + [noun] like "electric car" or "smart phone" or similar. It's something you understand, but with one major change that's emphasized. If the category gets big, then eventually something like "horseless carriage" just turns into "car." (which then invites a new adjective-led category later)

OK GOT IT: It's also easy to understand something like, "an [kind of app] for [well-understood behavior]," like an app for making a restaurant reservation or a VR app for playing basketball. The more understandable the behavior (and the more obvious why someone would want to do this) the better. If there's a clear commercial value, that will make it very easy to understand.

HUH: Famously a lot of startups go with the "[product] for [category]" description. This can work well for products that are easily segmented, like "online dating for international students" or "voice notes for doctors." If the product is obviously useful while the segment seems valuable and big enough, then it works great. It works less well when things are too niche, or there's no real market intersection for the "X for Y" idea, like a social network for cats. (No, this isn't a good idea, don't even get started).