Test what matters

A page in the book The Insightful Startup by David Today

Have you ever been trapped in endless testing or debates over something insignificant only to lose precious time and resources? It happens all too often.

While reading The Insightful Startup by David Today, I was amazed by the examples of founders who insisted on testing well-known truths - like trying to sell HR software through cold emails or copying Tinder’s swipe feature for second-hand clothing apps. Their efforts to prove the obvious wrong wasted time, energy, and runway.

This lesson applies perfectly to UX design too. While testing is critical, not everything needs validation:

A trash bin for delete? It’s universally understood.
Logo in the top-left corner? It’s a proven design pattern.

What matters is testing areas that affect flow, navigation, and user success:

Critical parts of the user journey. Are users dropping off at checkout? Why?

Clarity of navigation. Can users easily find what they’re looking for, or are they getting lost? Testing helps identify friction points in menus, search, or key flows.

New or innovative features. Are users understanding your fresh design patterns, or do they cause friction?

Testing here uncovers hidden insights, validates decisions, and drives meaningful improvements.

A beginner’s mindset can spark great ideas, but it must be balanced with common sense. Don’t waste time questioning what works - focus on testing what truly impacts the user experience.