This has to be one of the most brilliant memes I've seen online. It shows a journey that many founders go through.
At first, when you're new to product development, you might not know much about how to improve your product. So, you use your product a lot, figuring out what needs to change or what your customers might want. This works well, and your product will start to get some traction.
Then, you start to think there must be a better way. You start asking your customers what they want, talking to people who might use your product, researching, and making decisions based on lots of data. You think everything should be based on hard facts and data.
But the real moment of truth comes when you realize that using your product, just like you did at the start, is actually the best way to know how to improve it. All the other stuff was helpful, but it was kind of like taking the long way around to get back to where you started. You often feel that all these data and tools tell you what you already know.
Even though this might sound funny, it's actually really important. Sometimes, we use data and other methods to validate our ideas. But what got you here, to begin with, was your gut feeling, and it will take you even further. It's okay to trust that feeling and let it lead you, not everything needs to be backed with data.
So, why do we even use all these tools and data? They're not bad. They can help you make tactical decisions, like what your product should look like or what words to use. They can help you sharpen your intuition or guide your ideation process. They can also be great for quantifying your goals and doing forecasting. To be clear, I often use these tools but feel comfortable making decisions without them.
But here's what I want to say: use your product. It tells you much more than all the data and research. By using your product, you'll understand what needs to be done. Dedicate the time to be a power user of your own product. This will have the best ROI!