Every Tap Is a Miracle
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
You have approximately three seconds of your toddler's attention before they're on to the next thing. Use them wisely.
Nikita Bier has a dogmatic view about mobile apps: "Every tap on a mobile app is a miracle for you as a product developer because users will turn and bounce to their next app very quickly."
This is your child's attention span, basically. Every moment they're actually listening to you is precious and fleeting. If you sit behind someone and watch them use their phone, they switch between apps at a high frequency. Sit behind your toddler and watch them switch between activities. It's the same energy.
What does this mean for you? Stop burying the lead. Don't warm up to the point. Don't explain your reasoning first. Get to the critical information immediately: "Shoes on. Car. Now." You can explain why in the car.
Every instruction you give should be optimized for maximum clarity in minimum time. Your long explanations about why we don't hit? They bounced after word three. They're now thinking about dinosaurs.
Get to the point. Then expand if you still have their attention. (You won't.)
PM Theme: User attention and engagement
Parenting Theme: Communicating with short attention spans
“I have this dogmatic view that every tap on a mobile app is a miracle for you as a product developer because users will turn and bounce to their next app very quickly. If you actually sit behind someone and watch them use their phone, they actually switch between apps at a pretty high frequency.”Nikita Bier · 00:14:46
