"The Art of Curating Products: Insights for Founders and Creators"

"The Art of Curating Products: Insights for Founders and Creators"

Introduction:
In the modern world, where products and content are constantly vying for attention, the ability to curate experiences that keep users coming back is crucial. This article combines insights from "Keep Them Coming Back: 23 Habit-Making Insights for Product-Minded Founders" and "Everyone's a Curator Now" to explore the importance of emotional connection, user experience, and human psychology in creating habit-forming products.

1. The Power of Emotional Connection:
   When developing a product, it's essential to prioritize how users feel when using it. Startups often focus on functionality and performance, forgetting that the user's emotional experience is what truly matters. Understanding the "Wow" moment, that emotional experience that makes someone say, "Wow," and share it with others, allows founders to engineer and plan for it. Users want to feel entertained, connected, and like they belong somewhere. By incorporating these elements, products can establish a sense of importance and relevance in users' lives.

2. Designing for Habit Formation:
   Habit formation is a competitive advantage for any product. By creating a habit in the consumer's mind, a sense of loyalty and preference is established, making the competition irrelevant. The design must satisfy user needs, provide real lasting value, and occur with sufficient frequency. Employing models like the Hook model and Lewin's equation can help diagnose deficiencies and make key behaviors easy to do, increasing user motivation. Additionally, offering unique challenges and a sense of progression can jumpstart new habits and behaviors.

3. Understanding Human Psychology:
   The best founders and creators are attentive students of humanity. They grasp the emotional value and status associated with ownership, both in the physical and virtual realms. By studying people and their behaviors, founders can create products that help users feel successful, wired in habits, and simplify their lives. Simplicity is key, as people generally choose the easiest path to accomplish tasks. Furthermore, acknowledging the social aspect of community and the desire to join in with others can enhance the user experience.

Actionable Advice: