01
Start from the job, not the model
Useful AI features remove friction from a job users already do. Novelty features ask users to invent a new habit.
Map the workflow first. Then ask where prediction, generation, or retrieval shortens the path.
02
Prefer assistive over autonomous
Early AI surfaces work best when they draft, suggest, or summarize — and leave the final call with the user.
Trust grows when the product is transparent about uncertainty and easy to correct.
03
Measure return visits, not demos
A feature that impresses in a launch video but sits idle after week two is decoration.
Instrument retention on the AI surface itself. If people stop opening it, redesign the job — not the prompt.
