Lizard Optimization • Gojko Adzic & Dave Farley

The “Lizard Optimization” concept focuses on learning from how users misuse or “hack” your product, rather than dismissing these behaviors as edge cases

Around 4% of users will use products in unexpected ways - improving the product for these “lizard” behaviors often makes it better for everyone

Increasing user retention and product stickiness (by 5%) can improve profitability more effectively (up to 95%) than constantly acquiring new users

Product improvements should focus on keeping existing users engaged rather than primarily pursuing new user acquisition, especially after initial growth phase

Pay attention to unexpected usage patterns - they may reveal new product opportunities or ways to expand functionality (like text-to-speech features being more valuable than video)

Edge cases and “misuse” of products shouldn’t be treated as statistical exceptions but as opportunities to build better theories about how your product provides value

Sometimes user behaviors that seem illogical have underlying rational needs - understanding and accommodating these can lead to breakthrough improvements

Product evolution often happens through discovering unintended uses rather than just planned feature development

Retention-focused improvements have compound effects - they make acquisition more valuable by increasing the percentage of users who stay

Success comes from making products easier to use for edge cases while improving the experience for all users, rather than fighting against unexpected usage patterns