Where most product work goes wrong.
WHAT COMMONLY HAPPENS
Someone requests a feature, and it is built.
WHY THAT FAILS
The request is a proposed solution to a problem nobody examined.
WHAT TO ASK INSTEAD
What are you trying to do What happens now What is difficult about that What have you tried
WHY THOSE QUESTIONS
They reveal the problem, which may have a better solution.
WHAT EXAMPLES LOOK LIKE
A request for an export button, where the real need is a report they cannot produce.
WHAT THE BETTER SOLUTION MIGHT BE
The report, which serves more people.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT ANY PROBLEM
Who has it How often What it costs them What they do instead How many people share it
WHY FREQUENCY AND COST
They determine whether it is worth solving.
WHAT TO BE SCEPTICAL OF
Problems reported once Problems described in solution terms Problems that only one influential person has
WHY THAT LAST ONE
Volume of voice is not evidence of demand.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The same problem described differently by several people.
WHAT WORKAROUNDS INDICATE
A real problem, because people invested effort to avoid it.
WHY THAT IS THE STRONGEST SIGNAL
Nobody builds a workaround for something that does not matter.
WHAT TO DO
Look for spreadsheets, manual processes and repeated questions.
