Follow the money to get a better design
This title could be clearer and more informative.Try out Clickbait Shieldfor free (5 uses left this month).
Developers often focus too much on users and not enough on clients — the ones actually paying for the product. Understanding who pays (the client) versus who uses (the user) is essential for making good design tradeoffs. Using a Shopify-like SaaS as an example, the post argues that optimizing for client satisfaction should be the primary driver, while user needs matter to the extent they influence client happiness. This 'follow the money' mindset helps identify risks, avoid over-engineering, and build empathy for the business domain. It also positions empathy as a growing differentiator in an era where AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot reduce demand for developers who just want to code.
