Beyond the need to churn out traditional work product — concepts, documents, objects, or services — modern work-from-home scenarios now force parents to become responsible for their kids’ education and/or childcare, straining even the most career-focused individual’s ability to focus on their projects. It’s in that context that convenience has emerged as a potentially decisive advantage for businesses that sell products: Saving precious moments of a user’s time isn’t just a “life hack,” but rather the only way to juggle multiple overlapping responsibilities.

Some companies have made fortunes capitalizing on convenience. In decades past, Polaroid popularized instant but mediocre photos that didn’t require a visit to a photo processing lab, which meant they could be enjoyed faster but would fade more quickly than rivals. Ronco similarly created a billion-dollar business by focusing squarely on the simplicity of its “set it and forget it” countertop rotisserie oven. Legendary marketing guru Ron Popeil knew there was magic in putting a whole chicken or slab of beef into a device and coming back later to find a ready-to-serve meal for four, and his company built the product solely to deliver that exact experience.

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