Oct. 22, 2021
Read time: 2 minutes and 16 seconds.
tags:Building software products is tough because user feedback can be misleading. People often say they love a product but don’t actually use it. I’ve learned that real product success comes from understanding user behavior, not just their words.
“It doesn’t come down to maximizing all of the features, but rather the utility of the features.”
You can have all of the best intentions in the world to making a product that solves a huge problem, but understanding users’ intentions and actions helps one actually contribute to their needs.
People avoid hurting your feelings, even if they dislike the product. People are often really nice and want to be encouraging. I mean, no one really wants to be the bad guy. There’s substantial research that exists about how there are barriers to receptivity. Think about the dialogue:
Desperate for honesty: “Hey, what do you think of my product?”
Desperate to be nice (thinks): “Not sure how to let this guy down…”
Desperate to be nice (says): “Great work! I especially like that thing that it does…”
Desperate for honesty: “Yeah? What’s that?”
Desperate to be nice: “You know… 😅”
Listening to people who wanted to be nice and “not hurt my feelings”, I’ve built entire platforms that ended up unused because I listened to feature requests without validating actual need from people. The process of understanding what people need is so important
Don’t just take their word for it; check the data. Consider the amount of information not being told by the users unless you’re actively watching them without saying a word or judging them. It’s for this exact reason that analytics platforms were developed; to assess real usage patterns because people tend to lie to you anyway!
When someone tells you that they love the product, I would just do a select all from the user table… to tell me if that’s true or not.
This isn’t about calling users liars, it’s about understanding their genuine needs.
Some things I have found helpful for truly understanding if people want or need something:
Product development is about understanding people. It requires a blend of empathy and data analysis. Remember, users might not always tell you the truth, but their actions will, so focus on those, and you’ll be on the right track.