The Latency Lie: Why 'An Hour Is Fine' Usually Means Five Minutes

by Nat Currier 6 min read
AI EngineeringProduct StrategyUXSystems Thinking
Excerpt

When customers say they can wait an hour, what they usually mean is they can tolerate about five minutes before trust starts decaying. The gap between stated and revealed tolerance is where AI products quietly fail.

Cite This

Nat Currier. "The Latency Lie: Why 'An Hour Is Fine' Usually Means Five Minutes." nat.io, 2026-02-12. https://nat.io/blog/latency-lie-hour-is-fine-means-five-minutes

Customers stating an hour latency tolerance typically reveal a real tolerance of about five minutes before trust declines. AI workflows should prioritize delivering usable initial results within this window to maintai...

https://nat.io/blog/latency-lie-hour-is-fine-means-five-minutes

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Key stat: 6 minute read