The 3 Questions Product Managers Should Never Ask End-Users

Bad questions lead to meaningless conversations, which ultimately lead to frustrating results.

Questions are powerful; great ones can start a conversation that may open a path to discovery. At the same time, questions can be dangerous when misused because they might lead us in the wrong direction.

As a Product Manager, I used to think I should focus on asking many questions to uncover what matters most. I learned the hard way that it’s not just about questions; it’s about asking the right questions.

I heard, “There’s no wrong question,” I used to believe it all my life. But after many setbacks, I gained a different perspective. Great Product Managers understand which questions to ask and which to avoid.

Why should we AVOID some questions?

If all questions are good and no question is stupid, why do we have to worry about what we ask? The truth is that many questions can mislead us. Clients will do their best to answer whatever we ask, which doesn’t mean they know the answer. That’s why we need to learn how to utilize powerful questions.

Product Managers are value maximizers. We have the challenge of finding opportunities to deliver value to the end-users and the business. A Product Manager’s success is defined by how we strive to find our users’ hidden needs. To build meaningful products, we have to ask many questions.

“Questions open a space in your mind that allow better answers to breathe.” Richie?Norton

During a conversation with our users, we have two spaces to operate; problem and solution. A common pitfall is to let users define solutions and Product Managers figure out the problems. This approach generates failure because users are unable to determine solutions. They only know their problems; meanwhile, Product Managers are unaware of end-users problems. We are not users. Thus, we don’t know their pains. But when we understand the problems accurately, we can build great solutions.

To give a concrete example: imagine you are sick and go to the doctor. The doctor will ask you what problem you have instead of which medicine you want to take. As a sick person, you should describe your symptoms. Then, as the specialist, the doctor will provide suitable treatment for you. It seems obvious, right? But why does it happen differently in the product development world?

Meaningful products solve users’ real problems and bring value to the business. To succeed as Product Managers, we cannot settle until we find the intersection between problem, solution, and business.

“Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.” — Uri Levine, Waze?Founder

Not all solutions represent a viable business, and not all solutions solve real problems.

Let me share with you some questions you should not ask your clients.

1. What do you?want?

When we ask, “What do you want?” we will inevitably build something the client doesn’t need. Until Product Managers understand the clients’ problems, solutions can not be part of the conversation.

Clients are vital for any business; without them, companies are dead. Does it mean we should give our clients everything they want? Of course not.

Unfortunately, it took me a long time to understand the difference between want and need. I used to think we should ask the clients what they want. Clients may know what they want, but not always what they need.

It all boils down to the problem and solution spaces I mentioned before. They will try to describe solutions instead of problems by asking what clients want. If we build exactly what they want, they probably won’t be what they need.

Suppose a client asks for a solution. I like to ask, “That’s interesting. How do you do that today?” Great Product Managers ask questions to clarify the hidden problems. This uncovers lots of relevant problems. Some of my favorite questions are:

• Could you describe a situation that annoys you?
• What would you like to achieve with our product?
• What kind of benefit do you expect from our product?

First comes the problem, then the solution.

2. How do you expect the feature to?be?

I have often mistakenly asked clients how they want the feature to work. It’s again the problem of letting the sick patient define the medicines instead of the doctor.

The Product Team needs to understand how to solve a problem. But it’s vital to understand who should define the approach. The end-user is NOT who should define it.

Our challenge is to understand more details of our end-users. Then we can evaluate how the product could be. Don’t ask the end-users how they expect the product to be. Instead, we should strive to understand the scenario of the end-user. The following questions have helped me to gain clarity:

• How do you solve the problem currently?
• What is essential for you while dealing with this problem?
• What defines success for you?

3. Would you use our?product?

It’s a pitfall to approach clients and ask if they would use a product or a feature. Clients cannot picture something until they can test it. That’s why most clients say they would use something, but once it’s available, they don’t.

Product teams want to build great products. Nobody wants to make useless products. Therefore, we need to gain confidence that we are working in the right direction. Identifying the problem is only part of our job, but it’s not a synonym for success. As Product Managers, we should find a delightful and viable solution for the clients’ problems.

For me, the secret to success is accepting our ignorance. We don’t know if the solution is right until the end-user can test it. The question should not be if the client is willing to use our solution. Instead, we should observe users interacting with a prototype.

Don’t ask your clients if they would use your products. Give them a prototype and observe their reaction. As the users engage with the prototype, we can ask critical questions to understand if it will integrate into their workflow and solve their needs.

Using the power of questions

To succeed as Product Managers, we must learn how to ask the right questions. It’s easier to ask better questions once we understand our role in conversations with end-users.

The Product Manager is like a doctor; we must understand the problems. Then, we can identify precise solutions. Doctors don’t let patients focus on medicines. Product Managers cannot let end-users focus on solutions.