The Art of Knowing If Your Product Really Matters (Before You Build It)

You know that moment when someone says "that's a great idea!" and your heart does a little dance? (Mine still does, even after many years in product development.) But then comes that nagging question: Are they just being nice, or would they actually pull out their wallet for this?

Let's explore how to tell the difference between a genuine must-have and a polite nice-to-have. Because honestly, building something nobody wants is a special kind of heartbreak that I'd love to help you avoid.

The Fascinating Truth About Problems

While customers might not know exactly what they need, they're absolute experts at their problems. Think of it like having a toothache – you might not know the exact dental procedure you need, but you do know your tooth hurts!

Interestingly, every problem that people will genuinely pay to solve touches one of three areas: health, wealth, or relationships. I call this the "Care Deeply Triangle" (and yes, I made up that name, but it works!). Even in B2B, where everything seems purely logical, these three factors drive most decisions. After all, businesses are just groups of humans trying to solve human problems.

The Art of Problem Discovery

Let's break this down with a story. A few years back, I was working with a startup that built what they thought was the world's best reporting tool. (Spoiler alert: it wasn't what their customers actually needed.)

Instead of showing their solution, we started asking questions like:

• "Walk me through your most frustrating report-related day"

• "What happens when things go wrong?"

• "How does this problem affect your team?"

What we discovered was fascinating: Their real problem wasn't creating reports – it was getting approvals from stakeholders who never seemed to be available. The solution? A completely different product that focused on streamlining approvals.

The Money Talk (It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward)

Here's a fun metaphor: Asking customers "What would you pay for this?" is like asking someone to price a house they've only seen in fog. Instead, let's figure out what neighbourhood they're shopping in.

I once had a delightful conversation with a manufacturing company where they casually mentioned replacing £30,000 machines "all the time." That single comment told us more about their price tolerance than a dozen direct questions about pricing would have.

Try these questions instead:

• "What's your current solution costing you?" (in time, money, or headaches)

• "At what price would this feel so cheap the quality cannot be good enough?"

• “At what price is this getting too expensive you wouldn’t consider paying for it any more?”

• "What's the most you've paid for something similar?"

Your Validation Treasure Map

Think of validation like being a detective (but without the cool hat, unfortunately). Here's your investigation toolkit:

1. Problem Exploration: "Tell me about the last time this issue really made your day difficult..."

2. Impact Understanding: "What happens if this problem persists for another six months?"

3. Current Solutions: "Show me how you're working around this right now..."

4. Value Discovery: "What's this costing you? (Time counts too!)"

5. Price Testing: "At what price would this feel good value for money?"

The Magic Final Question

End every conversation with this gem (it's never failed me): "Please be completely honest – the worst thing that could happen is we build something nobody needs. In what way is this solving a critical problem for you?"

Your Next Steps (Because Reading Isn't Enough)

Here's what I want you to do next:

1. Pick your three most enthusiastic "that's a great idea" responses

2. Schedule follow-up conversations using these questions

3. Listen more for problems than praise - find out why it won’t work

4. Pay attention to what they do, not just what they say

   
   

Remember: You're not looking for polite enthusiasm – you're searching for problems worth solving. And trust me, when you find one, it feels less like pushing a product and more like offering someone exactly what they've been searching for.