Product Types and Directions
There's only one product methodology. Applied to different product types, it often reaches opposite conclusions. Mix up the types, and every method you learn gets aimed at the wrong target.
- 为什么 C 端讲的「减少一步」，到了 B 端反而要加一步
- 平台、工具、内容这三种形态，各自最难的地方在哪
- 你自己想做的东西属于哪一类，该照哪套标准判断
The most common misuse is dropping consumer-playbook moves straight into enterprise. Consumer users can leave at any moment, so every extra step is churn. Enterprise users can't leave—but every step they take sits on top of a real business process and a real line of accountability. Skip a step there, and things break.
Consumer and enterprise
The difference isn't the interface. It's "who decides whether to use it" and "who pays when it's used wrong."
| 看的是 | C 端 | B 端 |
|---|---|---|
| 谁做决定 | 用的人自己，一秒钟决定 | 老板买、员工用，两拨人 |
| 能不能走 | 随时能走，所以每一步都算流失 | 走不了，所以怕的是出错不是麻烦 |
| 判断依据 | 数据。留存、转化、时长 | 流程。跑不跑得通，对不对得上账 |
| 功能怎么加 | 能砍就砍，简单是竞争力 | 该有的必须有，缺一个环节就没法交付 |
| 最难的地方 | 让人第一次愿意打开 | 把一个组织的现实流程搞清楚 |
| 出错的代价 | 用户下次不来了 | 财务对不上账，有人要担责 |
Same feature, two sides—the implementations can differ by a single "Confirm" button.
作废后会同步给财务和客户，无法恢复
Four forms
Beyond who you serve, there's the question of product form. It decides where your growth comes from and which part is hardest to crack.
| 形态 | 怎么赚钱 | 最难的地方 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 工具 | 订阅、买断、增值功能 | 做完一件事就走，很难留住人 | 剪辑软件、笔记、设计工具 |
| 内容 | 广告、会员、带货 | 内容供给要持续，断一天就掉 | 视频、播客、资讯 |
| 平台 | 抽佣、流量分发 | 两边都要有人，先有鸡还是先有蛋 | 电商、外卖、招聘 |
| 社区 | 广告、电商、会员 | 氛围一旦垮掉基本救不回来 | 论坛、兴趣社区 |
Which one should you build
For one person building with AI, the difficulty gap across these four forms is huge.
When picking a direction, ask these three together: are you serving an individual or an organization; is the form a tool, content, platform, or community; and can you carry it alone until the first users show up. When the three answers line up, the direction is basically right.