[rjf72]

I've had the exact same experience with "sell first" on various user applications. Pitch something to people and they're lukewarm. Make the product, in my case first and foremost for myself, and they end up gushing over it in practice.

Always brings me back to Henry Ford:

- "If I'd ask people what they want, they'd have said faster horses."

- "The customer can have their car painted any color, as long as it's black."

And there was of course similar mentality from many contemporary entrepreneurs, probably most famously with Steve Jobs. The rise of design by focus group is likely why things like independent video games have been able to do as phenomenally well as they have. One guy makes Minecraft in his spare time, makes billions. Massive AAA corporation with ostensibly elite business leadership and development personnel produce uninspired shooter/stabber #7,843,235 and barely break even after covering their 9 figure marketing and development budgets. Then they blame mobile, or piracy. I love it!

[erobbins]

I hate that quote. They wouldn't have wanted faster horses, they'd have wanted something faster (or lower maintenance, or cheaper) than a horse.

[sh87]

For most people who ride horses, a faster horse is the only sensible next step.

That quote quite succinctly points out a bunch of human behaviors.

Just ask the next person you meet about their solution on high rent, bad traffic, etc. to get a sense of what I'm talking about.

[Aeolun]

The solution to traffic jams is naturally ‘more roads’!

[chrismorgan]

Move out into the country. It’s lovely.

[hnnh44]

A better solution is to live IN the city and get rid of the car entirely.