Ask HN: Why has nobody done this?

by giaco_hendel on 3/30/2025, 3:26:08 PM with 6 comments
This may sound familiar: You check out a new tool/software, don't get how it works and … leave to find a simpler alternative. This seems like a huge waste of potential, and at the same time an easy-to-solve problem. I still don't understand why no one has solved it yet (so decided to work on a tool to solve that). Feel free to roast my thinking.

Hypothesis: Simple software is better for user activation.

The problem: As time goes on, any software becomes more cluttered with features, which make it less simple and therefore harder for new users to use. They try the software, they don't get it, they leave. -> The company loses out on money.

The solution: Most SaaS companies try to counteract this by using ……… PRODUCT TOURS. Product tours make the problem even worse, by further cluttering the software more and hence make it even harder to understand. Also, many users just skip them and get annoyed.

The REAL solution: Software should be simple in the beginning – only basic functionality. Advanced and non-essential features should be hidden for new users (with the option to show all features of course). Advanced features should be revealed when a user is "ready" to use them.

Am I missing something?

  • by JohnFen on 3/30/2025, 3:51:35 PM

    For a while, this was a fairly common solution. Several pieces of complex software I use today still do this. PrusaSlicer, for instance.

    I do wish it were a more widespread practice.

    "Product Tours" are, in my opinion, worthless.

  • by slater on 3/30/2025, 3:51:26 PM

    Every user considers themselves a pro computer toucher who want all the advanced functionality now.