Everybody Signals

Roti, Kapda, Makaan ( Food, clothes and shelter) - the basic needs of humans, satisfy them and you can survive.

But survival is not what keeps life ticking. The core aim of every specie is to spread its genes. So it is the desire to procreate and find a mate which drives life forward. Every specie tries to find a better mate by projecting to be more beautiful, powerful, intelligent or richer. Everybody signals!

Every successful product helps its users signal better. The core insight is how does it makes its users feel. Do they feel more beautiful, powerful, intelligent or richer? Does it help in hiding some insecurity they have? Do you play up that insecurity?

Everybody wants to fit in first. Which is why a finance bro in New York wears tailored suits, oxfords and a Rolex, but the moment he shifts to SF, he wears gives up those and wears sweaters, sneakers and an apple watch. Understand the tribe, imitate the tribe and try to signal - I am one of yours.

Once in, people want to differentiate, prove they are better than the next tribal man/woman, better mate. Hence you try to find the axis where you can show/ project your superior traits for what the tribe values. In NYC it would mean - access to better clubs, house in Hamptons, the shiny luxury car, your salary, where you went for MBA and name dropping having meetings with CEOs. In SF it would be showing how clued you are in on the latest technology, how well are you bio hacking, the money your startup has raised, whether you dropped out of that prestigious university to change the world. From wallstreet, to Palo Alto to padas of Calcutta to the loud residents of west Delhi - everybody first wants to fit in

and and then compete.

So to win any market - first understand what the tribe is about, what does it take to fit in, and then what does the tribe value. You product should make the user feel wanted and valued. This may be helping them fit in, project competence or hide the features the tribe does not value.

Solve how you make people feel - you win the world!