Nobody needs a tutorial on how to use a coffee mug.
By Shanebarker · September 26, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Nobody needs a tutorial on how to use a coffee mug.
The customer already knows what it does and how to get the result.
A new kind of product doesn't come with that shared understanding.
You've spent months thinking about how it works. Your team has used it repeatedly. You know which step matters, what to expect and what someone should avoid doing.
By launch day, it's easy to forget how much of that you had to learn.
Then a customer opens the box, misses something you consider obvious and decides the product doesn't work.
Before launch, hand the product and its instructions to someone who has never used it. Let them try without coaching.
Watch where they hesitate or make an assumption you weren't expecting. Give them enough room to show you what the experience is like without you explaining every step.
If several people get stuck in the same place, you've found something to improve.
That might mean a clearer instruction, a better image on the listing or an explanation of a limitation before someone buys.
Customers review the experience they had, including the parts you thought would be obvious.
You don't get to stand beside every customer when they open the box. Make sure the product and instructions work without you there.