Badass: Making Users Awesome

By Kathy Sierra

When I'm asked to recommend a product book to someone, this is where I start.

I’ve returned to Kathy Sierra’s Badass over the years because I think it’s the best product book out there. It puts the focus on helping people grow and becoming better in a specific "compelling context" and doesn’t mistake someone learning a tool for actually becoming good at whatever it is they care about.

There’s a pop quiz in the book that I like. The question is: Which would you rather have a user feel?

“This product is awesome!”
“This company is awesome!”
“This brand is awesome!”

The answer is none of the above. You want them thinking, “I’m awesome!”

The product isn’t amazing. What a person can do with the product makes them amazing.

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Reference

Sierra, K. (2015). Badass: Making Users Awesome. United States: O’Reilly Media.