How ChatGPT accidentally became the fastest-growing product in history | Nick Turley (Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI)

Posted on August 9, 2025
Source: Lenny’s Newsletter by Lenny Rachitsky. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Inside ChatGPT’s Rapid Rise: Insights from Head of Product Nick Turley

Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT, shares how the AI tool was developed in a 10-day sprint and quickly grew to 700 million weekly active users. Key strategies included a pricing survey in Discord, rapid shipping with a focus on acceleration over perfection, and unique retention patterns where users return after breaks. The discussion also covers the future impact of ChatGPT on SEO, product growth, and AI-driven content.

Optimixed’s Overview: How ChatGPT’s Agile Development Redefined AI Product Success

Rapid Development and Growth

ChatGPT’s journey stands out for its remarkable speed from concept to launch. Nick Turley highlights the 10-day hackathon that led to its initial release, originally named “Chat with GPT-3.5.” This rapid iteration was powered by an “Is it maximally accelerated?” philosophy, prioritizing shipping fast and learning in real time rather than waiting for a perfect product.

Innovative Pricing and User Engagement

  • Utilizing a Van Westendorp willingness-to-pay survey in their Discord community helped set the $20/month subscription price, a model widely adopted by competitors.
  • The retention curve is unique, with users often leaving and returning later, typically engaging more deeply upon their return.
  • Early user research was creatively conducted through platforms like TikTok comments, providing valuable feedback channels.

Product Philosophy and Future Outlook

OpenAI’s approach involved intentionally shipping with an “ugly” model-chooser dropdown to enable experimentation with multiple AI models. This strategy underscores a broader trend in AI product development where shipping unpolished features outpaces waiting for refinement.

Looking forward, ChatGPT is expected to significantly influence SEO strategies and product growth by integrating AI-driven content generation and conversational interfaces. The discussion also touches on how enterprise adoption, team composition, and emergent use cases will shape the next phases of AI products.