In her 2010 TED talk, Jane McGonigal showed the audience a photo of a teenage gamer.
Eyes wide.
Nostrils flared.
Caught between apprehension and elation.
“This is a gamer who is on the verge of something called an EPIC WIN.”
Jane explains:
“An epic win is the moment someone discovers they're capable of, something they never imagined possible.”
McGonigal explains the principle in the context of computer games, but the same is true for physical products.
I've seen a beginner runner's face light-up when they discover they can maintain a pace that previously felt impossible.
Or a professional athlete push another rep because an innovative garment made them feel more powerful.
The moment of "I didn't think I could do that" transforms everything.
People buy products for the better version of themselves they reveal:
Run faster.
Jump higher.
Go further.
Innate human desires.
Most products deliver what people expect.
Few enable them to do what they didn't know they could.
If you’re stuck, or facing an important product decision, ignore the features.
Focus simply on what will make the consumer say:
“I didn’t think I could do that.”