Using software or listening to a program that was designed to appeal to the masses is generally frustrating for me. It spends too much time doing or showing things I don't have any interest in doing or it doesn't cover the details I need covered adequately. These days I spend most of my time and my money on products that are laser focused on the task I want to accomplish. I find I finish my projects faster when dealing with these specialist type of products. And you can create some of these winning products too!

The idea is to focus on performing 1 task and doing that one task very well. If you are developing software for bloggers, only provide features that a blogger would need not those for novelists. If you are developing an information product about traffic generation for blogs focus mainly on the ways that blogs can be promoted that static web sites cannot. Purposefully excluding people will focus your attention on your target customer but limit your customer base. This is a good thing. I find the more generic the product, the less remarkable it is. Less remarkable products usually have fewer sales.

The second thing to do is to pick a side. If you are providing a tutorial on how to write software, give your own views on how software should be developed, don't cover all 15 different ways of managing a software project just to make sure no one is offended. Your product needs to have a bias. Controversy sells and you should leverage this in your product. Some people will love your product and tell their friends others will hate it and tell their friends. The good thing is they are telling their friends! Their friends may not have the same needs as the person who hates it and their friend may find it suits them perfectly!

Obviously, this means you're going to lose out on some customers when your product doesn't cover all of their needs. Most likely their business would have cost you money anyway - in support or post sale interactions. You're better off without these people as your customers anyway. The definite upside is that you will create some evangelical customers that will spread the word about your product. When people can accomplish a task with minimal fuss, they tend to tell people about that product. Focus on solving real, simple problems first and foremost and you will end up with an army of people talking about your product. These are recommendations and exposure that cannot be bought.

Limit the scope of your project, allow people to accomplish exactly what they need to accomplish, take a side, create detractors as well as evangelists and you will be on your way to providing people with a product that is remarkable. And remarkability is always good for your bottom line.