[sydneyliu]

A question I always ask myself for products I'm building and products I'm thinking about is: "If I removed this product from my life or my user's life, how hurt or upset would they be?" I think this is a good frame for answering that questions as well.

If a startup is a nice to have, where if you have the extra cash it adds a layer of convenience, those companies will be more likely to fail than the ones who are the core of a user's lifestyle.

I think good examples of this are companies like Box, which is extremely integrated into many company processes. Slack is another great example. Companies rely on this for their communication. Removing it is like removing a key piece of a company. On the consumer side, Honest Company has become a staple to many people's lifestyles. Perhaps Spotify, which I know many people refuse to switch from simply because they have invested time and resources into getting it just how they like it.