By Teresa Torres · producttalk.org · @ttorres on X · LinkedIn
Teresa Torres recounts a founder who received contradictory feedback from buyers about whether sellers should pay for a pre-sale information platform. Digging into the context of each conversation revealed that the statements stemmed from different underlying concerns: budget on day one and information reliability on day two. The buyers' stated opinions were surface-level expressions of deeper needs. The piece argues that product managers should look past what customers say to uncover the reasoning behind it, and that once understood, seemingly conflicting feedback becomes useful constraints for design decisions.
01Key takeaways
- Customers' stated opinions often hide the real need behind them, so ask what prompted the comment.
- Check the context of each feedback conversation, since different topics can produce opposite conclusions.
- Contradictory feedback may not mean customers changed their minds; they may be reacting to different concerns.
- Translate customer statements into the underlying need before deciding on a solution.
- Treat conflicting feedback as constraints that shape the product's design rather than as a reason to stall.
02Key sections
- A confusing feedback loop
- A founder hears opposite opinions from the same buyers on consecutive days about who should pay for the platform. The apparent contradiction raises the question of whether the buyers changed their minds.
- Uncovering the context
- Examining the circumstances of each conversation shows the buyers were responding to different topics. Day one focused on how the platform earns revenue, while day two focused on information quality.
- Translating words into needs
- Reframed in terms of what buyers actually meant, each statement expresses a distinct need: limited budget in one case, and trustworthy information in the other.
- Turning conflict into constraints
- The author argues that product managers must interpret the reasons behind feedback, since understanding them lets conflicting statements define boundaries for the product rather than paralyze decisions.
03From the post
“I was talking to a startup founder recently and he was telling me about the feedback he was getting on his recent product launch. To keep things simple, we'll describe his product as follows: he is creating a platform where buyers can meet with sellers to exchange information about”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.