Rob Snyder explains why customers ask for specific features when they're really describing problems. When someone requests a feature, dig into the situation that created the need. Understanding the actual demand behind the request helps you build the right solution instead of just what they asked for.
Customers are trying to speak in supply language. They're trying to talk about the features they want, the products they want, stuff like that. They don't get to do that. Like, they can sure try, but they're not experts on the supply side. They're experts on the demand side, and it's our job to get them to speak on the demand side and for us to make the translation to what's the right supply that fits their demand. So the thing that just broke my brain here. Was realizing that feature requests, even when a customer says, I literally, this is the exact feature I want, that is not demand. And that this, this idea just scales across every single part of your business.
How would you, knowing what you do now, if you were in that same situation, how would you talk with that customer?
Yeah. So what the first thing is to know whether a customer is talking about demand or supply. That's like the first cue. And so if the customer's talking about demand, it's like, cool, let them talk. Let's explore. If they're talking about supply, we have to redirect them. Say, cool, dashboard sounds really interesting. Like, and then not talk me through how you would use the dashboard or not talk me through why you want the dashboard. That's still in the supply land. Let's say, cool, putting the dashboard aside, talk to me about when you wanted this dashboard. What was going on in your world up until that moment? And what I'm looking for is stuff that is not about the product. I'm looking for kind of like a story. Well, so yesterday I was just talking with my office manager and we were trying to figure out X, Y, Z, and we figured your product might have that information in it. We were like, oh, maybe we'll go and try to look for this. So, okay, cool. Now I know what you were trying to solve for, and then we can decide what to do about it on the supply side.
