Sachin Monga
Co-Design With Your User
Inspired by Sachin Monga episode
Substack doesn't just test features with writers—they bring writers into the design process before building. Your kid is also a user. Stop designing morning routines in isolation and involve them in what you're building.
Substack's "build with writers" principle means bringing writers into the design process early. Not "we built this, what do you think?" but "we're thinking about this problem, how would you solve it?" The feature changes based on what they learn.
You need your 4-year-old to start getting themselves ready for preschool. You spend a week designing the perfect system. Clothes laid out, visual chart, stickers. You unveil it Monday morning like you're Steve Jobs launching the iPhone. Your user takes one look and asks if they can wear their swimsuit to school instead.
Or you bring them into the design: "Getting ready is taking forever and we're always late. What would make mornings easier for you?" They suggest putting clothes in the bottom drawer they can reach. You try it together. They're implementing a feature they designed.
The parents struggling with buy-in forgot to involve their user in product development. You can't force adoption of a system they didn't help create. Your 4-year-old is a surprisingly unforgiving product reviewer.
