Short transcript excerpt from a YouTube interview with Scott Belsky (uploaded by Jason M. Lemkin) in which Belsky argues that successful transformational products favor familiarity (~90%) while introducing a small (~10%) amount of retraining or novelty. He warns against over-inventing terminology and stresses keeping changes limited to key behaviors or concepts.
This tendency that we have as humans to favor novelty, yet cling to familiarity. We love things that are new, and we certainly say we do, and sometimes we do. But also, we have this, like, you know, we have this lure towards whatever makes us feel comfortable. So I would actually argue that transformational products across all industries are 90% really accommodating of what customers would expect and are familiar with, and are 10% retraining. Like, what are the few things you want to train people to do differently, to think differently? What are the key terms you do want to invent that are unique? And then make sure, though, that the balance, right, is like the 9010 type of approach. Just to keep yourself in check, don't fall into the trap that I did, where I just was, like, naming all these things my own way and had to revert back to what was actually familiar to people.
