Company
Date Published
Author
Dan Ritzenthaler
Word count
1306
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

There are four types of information that help software designers and developers understand the world around a customer, but don't help them decide what to build: contextually helpful information such as solutions, specifications, needs, and benefits. These types of feedback can be difficult to act on because they lack clear direction or measurement. In contrast, there are three types of actionable feedback that are instantly valuable to a product: jobs, outcomes, and constraints. Jobs refer to the specific tasks or activities that customers are trying to accomplish when using a product, while outcomes measure how customers value those tasks. Constraints, such as limitations on time, resources, or permission, can also be uncovered through customer interviews. To receive software feedback effectively, it's essential to practice probing for these different types of information and to prioritize understanding the context in which customers are providing feedback.