Somewhere right now, someone is making their last product purchase of 2024.

Maybe it’s a late-night impulse buy on Amazon, or a desperate dash to a convenience store.

Could be a subscription renewal automatically processing at 11:59 PM.

What’s cool is that while 2024’s final transaction is happening, 2025’s most exciting products are actively taking shape.

In labs, garages, and Zoom meetings, teams are in the midst of mapping out solutions to problems we don’t even talk about yet. Creating our next most beloved device, app or toy.

In I Need That, I talk about how the best products often emerge from carefully observing what people do when existing solutions fall short. Those small moments of frustration or desire that trigger someone to think, “there has to be a better way.”

Tonight’s last-minute purchases might seem random, but they’re data points.

Each one tells a story about an unmet need, a moment of impulse, or a problem someone needed to solve right NOW.

For product makers, these end-of-year transactions can hold valuable insights.

What drives people to buy at the eleventh hour?

What needs persist regardless of the calendar?

What opportunities are we missing with our current approaches?

Action for you: Before the year ends, note your final purchase of 2024. What does it reveal about your needs and behaviors? What root problem were you trying to solve?

Laurier

P.S. Wonder what the first purchase of 2025 will be? Probably something to help a hangover. 🥂🤕 Some needs are pretty predictable!