Guided Innovation

Should we let customer feedback guide our product decisions, or is there merit in trusting our gut and the collective intuition of the team?

Relying only on customer demands and feature requests can lead us down the wrong path, clouding product vision, slowing product growth, and even diluting team culture.

My journey has seen its share of detours, especially during my tenure at companies where customer conversations overshadowed action, where the process became the product and stifled innovation, iteration, and continuous improvement.

I’ve also experienced the opposite: making product decisions based purely on intuition and experience, without taking customer feedback into account. This approach can result in products that don’t connect with customers, hindering product growth and development.

Building the best product is about finding the balance where user insights blend seamlessly with our vision and expertise. This harmony is our guiding star, ensuring that while we value user input, it’s weighted against the vision, the nuances of the industry, and the bold bets we’re willing to make on the future.

Yes, you absolutely should listen to your users. But also listen to your intuition and the collective wisdom of your team. Embrace all of your experiences — the triumphs and the trials — to craft solutions that resonate, innovate, and stand the test of time.