Earlier this week, I talked about how many start-ups stumble when they focus on trying to attract users with a variety of services rather than getting people onboard because a product or service is able to delight them.

Another slant is something I call “The Denny’s Menu vs. The Iceberg” thesis. For anyone who has patronized a Denny’s, the menu has an inspiring number of choices but, at the same time, it can be difficult and time-consuming to decide what you want because there are so things to think about. In the end, many people stick to a small handful of choices because it makes life easier.

Unfortunately, many start-ups embrace “The Denny’s Menu” approach because they believe many features is the way to attract users looking for different things. Rather than offer a one-size-fits-all service, these start-ups offer a rich menu of services that could, in fact, make it useful but also challenging to access because there are so many options.

The contrasting – and what I think more effective – approach is “The Iceberg” in which only a small number of features are visible and promoted, while other features are hidden beneath the surface. The advantage of the “The Iceberg” is it makes it easier for people to understand what a start-up is offering them.

In a world where there are too many choices and distractions, an effective way to get people to pay attention to what you’re doing is showing them something they can quickly get without having to work too much. Once you hook them, then you can slowly start to show them other things and features.

In some respects, it’s a slow sell vs. the hard and fast sell. By showing people something they can easily nibble on rather than making them think there’s a big meal on the table, it is get people to taste what you’re doing.