La Minute Builder #6 — Why listening to users can sometimes lead to a bad product
« What if the problem isn't listening… but interpreting their requests? »
In this edition of La Minute Builder, Netflix shows how uncovering a hidden need can change an entire industry.
« The more products I build, the more I realize users are experts in their problems… Not necessarily in the best solution. »
For a long time, I thought we had to build what users asked for.
Over time, I understood that what matters most is understanding why they're asking.
Because a user is an expert in their problem.
Not necessarily in the best solution.
Here's how Netflix succeeded in finding its users' hidden need.
Netflix (early 2000s)
In the early 2000s, Netflix rented DVDs by mail.
If Netflix had simply listened to its users, it would probably have improved:
- The DVD catalog
- Shipping times
- Physical subscriptions
In other words: a better DVD store.
But Netflix understood something deeper.
The need was not: « I want my DVDs faster. »
The need was: « I want to watch what I want, when I want. »
That difference seems small. Yet it changed the entire industry.
Netflix didn't improve the DVD. Netflix changed how we consume content.
Our role is to identify the hidden need behind these problems.
Before asking: « What do our users want? »
Let's ask: « What need are they really trying to satisfy? »