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Sakshi Pratap on Simplicity vs. Innovation: What Matters More?

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In the race to build groundbreaking products, tech scaleups often face a critical question: Should we prioritize innovative design or focus on simplicity and ease of use?

On Wisdom From Wizards, brought to you by Caribou Strategic, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sakshi Pratap, Founder & CEO of Hexus AI. She shared a compelling perspective that every scaleup leader should consider.

The Power of Simplicity

When asked whether she’d rather see her product celebrated for its innovative design or its simplicity, Sakshi didn’t hesitate: simplicity and ease of use always come first.

Her reasoning is straightforward yet profound. “Customers have to use the product every day,” she said. If a product is not intuitive, it doesn’t matter how innovative it is — users will struggle, get frustrated, and potentially abandon it.

This is especially critical for products embedded in a user’s daily workflow. Sakshi emphasized that Hexus AI customers engage with the platform 10 times a day or more. In such high-usage scenarios, usability isn’t just important — it’s everything. While innovation may help with initial buzz and marketing, sustained adoption depends on ease of use.

What This Means for Tech Scaleups

For tech scaleups striving for market leadership, Sakshi’s insight serves as a reality check. Flashy, cutting-edge features might get attention, but if the core experience is cumbersome, customers will disengage. Here are three takeaways to apply:

  1. Make simplicity a feature — Just like you prioritize performance or security, bake usability into your roadmap.
  2. Test with real users — Validate ease of use through constant feedback loops.
  3. Think long-term — Short-term hype from innovation is great, but long-term retention is driven by usability.

Keep Learning from the Best

At Wisdom From Wizards, we bring you insights from some of the best minds in tech, helping you make smarter decisions as you scale.

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