Recently, I bought a few toys for my niece. She was excited, jumping with joy the moment I handed them over. For a while, she wouldn’t let them out of her sight. But then my sister said something that stuck with me:
“She’ll play with them now, but in a few days, they’ll be lying around somewhere.”

At first, I thought she was just being practical. But the more I observed, the more I realized she was right. This happens every single time, not just with my niece, but with almost every kid.

Here’s the pattern: when we first buy them toys, we play with them. We animate the toy, we show them what it can do, and we join in on their excitement. In that moment, the toy feels like the greatest thing ever. But after a few days, life gets busy. We step back, leaving the child to play alone, and that’s when the toy starts losing its charm.

And then it clicked for me: kids don’t really “lose interest” in toys. What actually happens is that the toy stops providing the value it provided before.

At first, the toy solves multiple things it entertains them, it gives them attention, and it creates a connection. But when those needs aren’t being met anymore, the toy is reduced to just another object in the corner of the room.

This isn’t just about kids. This is how business works, too.

A product on its own won’t keep people hooked forever. Customers don’t fall in love with the product itself because it has a nice UI or planned UX; they stay because the product is solving a problem in their life. The moment it doesn’t, they’ll move on just like my niece moving on from her toys.

Think about it: how many businesses launched with a big bang but faded away because they solved one problem and never evolved? On the other hand, the companies that stay relevant are the ones that keep asking, “What’s the next problem my customer is facing, and how do I solve it?”

That’s why customer loyalty isn’t really about loyalty at all. It’s about continuous problem solving.

My niece’s abandoned toys reminded me of something simple but powerful: success in business isn’t about creating the flashiest “toy.” It’s about staying present, paying attention, and making sure you’re always solving the problems that matter.

Because whether it’s kids or customers, the rule is the same once the problem disappears, so does the need.