The Hardest Thing to Scale? Understanding

New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): We talk endlessly about scale, CAC, virality, and optimization. But quietly, behind every feature that lands, and every feature that fails, there one muscle that separates meaningful products from forgettable ones. Empathy.

Not the performative kind. Not a slide in a deck. Real empathy. The kind that listens before it launches. The kind that redesigns a flow not because metrics dip, but because a user felt unseen. The kind that knows every confused user isnt a problem, theyre a reminder.

And in a high-context, high-skill category like fantasy sports gaming, empathy isnt just a nice-to-have. It the difference between user activation and user abandonment.

The First Game Is Never Just a Game

Weve seen it, the blank stare on a user face when they enter the app for the first time. Numbers are moving. Percentages are shifting. Everything feels fast, and maybe a little fragile.

In that moment, it easy to forget that what we call a feature is confusion for a user. Do they feel in control, or like theyre already behind? Do they feel like theyre entering a system designed for them, or one theyll never fully understand?

Empathy means designing for that moment of hesitation. It means building an experience that educates before it excites, that informs before it demands action. When we explain price discovery, highlight exits, and offer context, not commands, were not simplifying complexity. Were helping users meet the moment.

Every Confused User Is a Design Problem We Havent Solved Yet

There a kind of silence that should keep every product team up at night: the silence of a user who drops off, not because the app crashed but because they didnt feel welcome in the first place.

Empathy doesnt wait for a support ticket. It anticipates doubt before it voiced. Take Calm, the meditation app. They dont launch users into silence, they walk them in. A few soft words. A reminder that it okay to feel unsettled. That little moment of humanity transforms what couldve been awkward into something comforting. That not just UX polish. That emotional architecture.

In fantasy sports gaming, where cognitive overload is real, we embed that same philosophy. Micro-copy. Onboarding nudges. Game recaps. Language that says: Youre not alone. Weve thought this through with you in mind.

Data Doesnt Kill Empathy. It Sharpens It.

If we want to truly serve users, we have to go deeper than what they clicked. We have to understand why they paused. When McDonald first entered India, it wasnt their billion-dollar global brand that won hearts, it was a humble ₹7 soft serve ice cream cone. Understanding that local customers saw the brand as a luxury, McDonald made the cone so affordable that people walked in just for that, breaking the barrier of intimidation, and opening the door for families to discover the menu.

Beyond price, McDonald looked even deeper, sensing the dietary and cultural needs of its Indian customers. The introduction of the McAloo Tikki burger, a potato and pea patty seasoned with Indian spices, wasnt just innovation, it was empathy in edible form. The burger became so beloved it redefined the McDonald menu in India and was later exported to other countries with similar tastes. Every element, from vegetarian kitchen separation to nutrition tweaks, reflected an ongoing commitment to understanding and serving the user real needs, not just the numbers

Flipkart Empathy Engine: Breaking Barriers and Winning Customer Trust

When Flipkart wanted to get Indian users comfortable with purchasing items priced above ₹1,000, a major psychological and financial leap for many, they introduced smart offers and payment solutions, particularly around exclusive Motorola smartphone launches. By forging an exclusive online partnership with Motorola, Flipkart not only gave Indian shoppers early access to the most anticipated devices but also built trust by guaranteeing authenticity and support.

Flipkart rolled out deals where users could purchase or pre-book Motorola phones for as little as ₹999 through exchange offers or token pre-booking. For those still hesitant to spend more than ₹1,000 online, Flipkart further reduced barriers with No Cost EMI schemes, allowing buyers to pay for higher-priced products in easy, interest-free monthly instalments.

This multi-pronged approach, exclusive launches, price innovation, and flexible payments, directly addressed both the psychological and financial apprehensions Indian customers faced at the ₹1,000 mark. It made big-ticket purchases feel approachable, safe, and supported, transforming the online buying experience and empowering a generation of shoppers to confidently cross the over ₹1,000 threshold, reshaping both consumer expectations and the broader e-commerce market in India.

Empathy Scales. Indifference Doesnt.

It easy to say user-first in a meeting. It harder to build like it. Empathy doesnt mean we remove challenge. It means we remove confusion. It doesnt mean we oversimplify. It means we equip.

It not about giving users what they ask for. It about giving them what they need to grow. Because the best products arent just engineered. Theyre felt.

Performance ads expire. Inventory depletes. But empathy? That builds brand memory that compounds.

5 UX Micro-Moments Where We Build Empathy

Empathy doesnt always come with a headline. Sometimes, it lives in the invisible corners of a user journey. Here are five such moments we take seriously:

1. The First Hover

When a user hovers over but doesnt click. That not indecision, it a request for reassurance. We respond with insights, price logic, and contextual tips. We dont nudge users into uncertainty. We help them interpret it.

2. The Drop-Off After a Loss

Loss doesnt drive churn. Confusion after a loss does. We surface post-game insights through a series of evolving video content to help users learn, not blame themselves. We dont say better luck next time. We say here what happened.

3. The Mid-Game Exit

Exiting a game early isnt failure. Often, it strategy. We design exit flows with affirmation, not friction. We give users a clean off-ramp, not a guilt trip.

4. The Return After Time Away

Re-onboarding matters. Users who leave and return deserve orientation, not promotions. We rebuild trust before we pitch anything.

Empathy is following up with purpose, not pressure. Because in the end the platforms that win arent always the ones with the loudest ads. Theyre the ones that understand silence. The pause. The doubt. The almost-click.

And they meet it with clarity. Humanity. Patience.

That what we build toward. Every day. (ANI)

Disclaimer: Puneet Dua is the Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder at SportsBaazi. The views expressed in this article are his own.

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.