Empathy First: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling in Product Management

In the ever-evolving world of products, understanding and empathizing with your customers is crucial. Products have long used screens and interfaces to try and understand their customers' needs, but they only tell *half* the story. I think it's time to look at an old, but powerful tool: storytelling.

The Power of Storytelling

Stories go beyond the 'what' of user interaction, diving deep into the 'why' and 'how'. Screens can mistakenly draw our focus toward our product, and we can become dangerously attached to existing solutions due to the Sunk Cost Fallacy. Stories, however, place our focus back where it should be: on the customer.

Consider Airbnb. Since 2012, the company has incorporated storytelling into its product culture, using narratives to understand the unique needs and experiences of its users, ultimately leading to better product solutions. This real-world example underlines the potency of storytelling in creating exceptional user experiences.

The Science Behind Storytelling

Science and art go hand in hand when it comes to storytelling, and there are key psychological principles that underscore its effectiveness:

• Narrative Bias: Humans are wired to make sense of the world through stories.
• Singularity Effect: We empathize more with a single person than with a group.
• Character Identification Effect: Stories make us feel like we're experiencing the journey, developing empathy for the protagonist.

These principles underline why storytelling, when done right, can truly put us in our customers' shoes.

The 6P Story

One highly effective storytelling technique is the "6P Story". This is a single-page comic strip with six panels, each depicting a different aspect of your customer's experience. Despite its apparent simplicity, the 6P Story is a powerhouse of insight and empathy.

Take Spotify, for example. To understand how users discover new music, product managers used a 6P Story to map the journey of a user who wanted to find new tunes for her road trip without feeling guilty about it. At that time you could only hear pirated music or pay for every song almost 1$.

Back to Airbnb - Here is a good one this time

The Psychology of Comics

The efficacy of 6P Stories and comics in general stems from three psychological principles:

• Closure: The human brain constantly seeks to fill gaps in stories. This sparks creativity and drives problem-solving.
• Miller's Law: An average person can only hold 7±2 items in their working memory. With just six panels, 6P Stories are short enough to be understood quickly, yet they leave room for interpretation and imagination.
• Pareidolia: We have a tendency to see faces and emotions in inanimate objects, allowing even simple stick-figure drawings to evoke empathy and understanding.

In summary, storytelling, especially through mediums like the 6P Story, provides a deeper, more empathetic understanding of our customers. As product managers, it is essential that we harness this tool to ensure our products are continuously aligned with the needs and experiences of our customers. Not only will this result in better products, but it will also foster a product culture where the customer truly comes first.