Aug 28, 2025
Customers Aren't Always Right - Their Problems Are
Prioritising customer requests purely by volume is a bad choice.
Volume doesn't mean this is the right problem to solve.
But it still blinds teams.
Yes, customer feedback is great for spotting patterns and surfacing needs. But raw demands don't point to the best answer. Building features based solely on who shouts loudest will result in bloated products or patchwork fixes that don't scale.
A client might demand Feature X but their request likely reflects a deeper pain point solvable in a more elegant, cheaper, faster and more beneficial way.
Strong product teams distil customer insights. Instead of asking: "What do customers want?" ask: "What problem are they trying to solve?".
Your customer problems are your problems.
Volume doesn't mean this is the right problem to solve.
But it still blinds teams.
Yes, customer feedback is great for spotting patterns and surfacing needs. But raw demands don't point to the best answer. Building features based solely on who shouts loudest will result in bloated products or patchwork fixes that don't scale.
A client might demand Feature X but their request likely reflects a deeper pain point solvable in a more elegant, cheaper, faster and more beneficial way.
Strong product teams distil customer insights. Instead of asking: "What do customers want?" ask: "What problem are they trying to solve?".
Your customer problems are your problems.
About Max Antonov
I'm a father of three from Sydney, a Product Director and a Product Coach. I write about product management and run the Product Manager community.
Feel free to reach out: [email protected].
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