Preferences and revealed preferences

Someone started a poll on twitter. What do you want, happiness or contentment?

75% voted for contentment. When it comes to decisions people take decisions to maximize happiness over contentment.

Contentment is preference but happiness is the revealed preference.

Users of X (twitter) complain all the time about algorithm and how they see too few posts from people they followed. How the feed is becoming tiktokish and sloppy. Twitter has a "Following" tab right on the home page. If people are interested in seeing content from people they follow, they can do that; without the algorithm, in strictly chronological order. Yet most don't and still complain. Algorithms work on engagement, likes, comments and they are the same people who feed the algo with their revealed preferences.

Users complain about Wordpress being bloated, some complain about Ghost now becoming bloated as well. ...and how they want a simple platform they can use pen down their thoughts without any complexity. There are plenty of simple options. Lykhari is another one. Yet when they look for an alternate their wishlist keeps increasing and they opt for future optionality. i.e. a platform simple but extendible or in future it should be able to do so and so. Preferences vs revealed preferences.

Users drive the products with their behavior. Most founders are better off not listening but it is hard. I built a simple blogging platform and I had to let some customers leave. They are attracted to simplicity and straight-forwardness but also need more customization.

It's tough to leave money on the table. You never know if your decision is correct. Where to draw the line between simplicity and complexity. That's why many products are eventually bloated. Saying no to revenue is hard. I am trying...