If we build this, would you use it? How UX can elevate product-led discovery

A Tale of Two Product-led Discoveries

Marty Cagan, the leader of the Silicon Valley Product Group, preaches to product owners everywhere. If your company has ever hired an SVPG trainer to speak to your Product org, chances are it led to an immediate uptick in discovery conversations with users.

In one such company, SVPG trained the company’s Product and UX teams together, plus some Dev leaders. Two very different behaviors emerged following the conclusion of this training.

One product manager perma-camped in glass conference rooms, calling customer after customer after customer, week after week. The glass walls were not particularly soundproofed, which meant the cross-functional team on the other side winced at the leading questions they overheard, incredulous instant messages zipping back and forth. This person would emerge from their customer engagements with what I can only assume in hindsight were false or shallow insights. Ultimately, they were not able to provide meaningful product direction and did not last at the company.

A second product manager at the same company took a more inclusive approach, taking customer calls with their partners in UX and Dev (the “holy trinity” as described by Marty Cagan in training), plus Product Marketing depending on the goal. This individual tag-teamed interviewing responsibilities with UX and asked for feedback as they progressed. What emerged over time:

• the team’s shared understanding of user pain points and unmet needs
• product-market fit failure— better late than later!
• a major product pivot and team reorg to support
• a case study to inform future work
• a model of how cross-functional teams can partner through discovery

“If we build this, would you use it?”

It’s not a fun day for a UX researcher or designer when they discover that their product manager has been leading discovery conversations on their own, especially if the UX person is well versed in interviewing users. But if you remove bias, there is nothing that can or should block a product manager from connecting with their own customer. And furthermore, across the tech industry thought leaders like Marty Cagan wield immense influence, driving more product managers to connect on a weekly basis with customers.

If you’ve ever overheard an untrained Product manager conduct customer discovery, you have likely encountered one of these classic questions:

What do you want us to build?

If we changed this to a dashboard, would you use it more?

We’ve changed this feature so you definitely would like this more…right?

Would you say this is innovative?

I’ve heard these countless times and they always evoke a reaction. I’ve cycled through a range of feelings — incredulity, helplessness, frustration, outrage, and everything in between.

Shifting is hard.

Now that we’ve acknowledged reactionary feelings, let’s take a moment, shift gears, and do what we supposedly do best in UX — empathize with our partners in Product. Shifting is hard.

From work mode to family mode at the end of the work day. From ownership mode and being the expert on product work to discovery mode and learning from the user as the expert. Shifting is hard.

So, UX professionals…let’s acknowledge that product managers are being tasked with making a pretty drastic shift for a relatively small percentage of their working time. They may or may not realize the need to adjust the language they use and the vibe they give off to the person on the other side. Let’s also acknowledge that it isn’t very empathetic to expect people to do these things on their own, without guidance.

What kind of partner are you?

Our job as UX practitioners is to champion our users. Fact: Product-led discovery is happening regardless of what you may prefer. Getting frustrated will only serve to drag your own energy down and drive a deeper divide between you and your product partners. Sweeping the issue under the rug does nothing to improve the outcome for your users.

Offer support instead — guide product managers towards self-awareness, ask for permission to coach them with their best interest at heart, encourage them to hone discovery as a skill, and give conscious feedback.

When Product Managers conduct regular, unbiased discovery with users…

…they build a shared understanding with the user

…they learn to step outside their own assumptions

…they stay relevant to the evolving needs of users

…they appreciate the craft and value of researcher-led work more