Why Surface-Level Thinking Won't Build Great Products
AI is impressive. There’s no question it’s changing the way we work. But here’s the catch: just because something can be automated doesn’t mean it should. Especially when the problem you’re solving involves humans.
Let’s take travel agents as an example. With the rise of online booking tools, many predicted the end of in-person agents. But the opposite happened—independent agents in the U.S. grew from 45,000 in the late 90s to more than 105,000 by 2020. One-third of trips are still booked through them, and their market share is projected to grow.
Why?
Because the internet was a better tool for transactions. But it wasn’t better at delivering trust, peace of mind, or human support during complex plans.
Emotional Value > Functional Value
Functional thinking stops at features. Emotional thinking digs into motivations. That’s where great product teams focus.
Take Uber.
On the surface, the problem was “rides arrive late.” A typical solution would be to improve driver arrival accuracy to near perfection. But that’s expensive and unrealistic.
What great teams do instead is ask: “Why is a late ride frustrating?”
And they keep going.
The answer often isn’t about the delay itself. It’s the uncertainty. The stress of not knowing. That’s what the map feature solved—by reducing uncertainty, not eliminating lateness.
Same outcome. Very different path.
What Customers Are Really Buying
You’re not just selling features. You’re selling outcomes people care about, often without saying them out loud.
Big consultancies aren’t just selling advice—they’re selling deniability. “If it fails, it’s McKinsey’s fault, not mine.”
That’s why “no one gets fired for hiring McKinsey.”
You can build a better tool, but unless you know the real reason people are buying, you might still lose.
Ask Better Questions
Great PMs don’t stop at “What’s wrong?”
They go:
“Why is that frustrating?”
“What happens if it doesn’t get fixed?”
“What’s the consequence beyond the screen?”
And they keep asking until they get to something real:
“I won’t get promoted.”
“My boss will think I messed up.”
“I’ll lose trust with my client.”
This is where product decisions start to make sense.
Use JTBD to Get Clarity
Jobs to Be Done helps surface the real reasons people use your product.
Clayton Christensen’s milkshake story is a classic: people bought milkshakes not just for taste, but to keep busy on long drives. That’s the job they were hiring the milkshake to do.
Same applies to SaaS. Or anything else.
Think Psychology, Not Just Tech
Want to get better at product? Learn how people think. Behavioral economics, motivation theory, decision-making—these are tools too.
Because every product decision is a human decision. And every product problem is a people problem.
Dig deeper. Always. That’s where the best insights live.
Do you have any ideas you would like to share? Get in touch on LinkedIn 👇
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