Fundamentals~20 min

Painkillers, Not Vitamins

You're deciding between two ideas.

Idea A: a gratitude-journaling app. In casual conversations, 9 out of 10 people say "oh, I'd love that, I should really journal more."

Idea B: a tool that chases freelancers' unpaid invoices. Only 2 out of 10 people care — but one of them grabs your arm: "I spent last Sunday writing awkward reminder emails for $4,300 a client owes me. Can I pay you now?"

Which signal predicts a product people will pay for?