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Researching user needs is the hidden door to the code of wealth!
Don't you feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of products available these days, with even car video conferencing now possible? When Ma Ying-jeou sat in a BYD car and heard about this feature, he asked with a puzzled look, "Is this really necessary?" You might have the same question, but the manufacturer's answer directly contradicts that: "Yes! Many people want this!"
It sounds like a joke, but it hides the core secret of product development— user needs are the source of everything.
Not all functions are stupid, but if you don’t understand the user, you are really stupid
Nowadays, products are becoming more and more competitive. If you don’t do something “shady”, you will be eliminated by the market in minutes.
In the past, people thought that mobile phones were only used for making calls and sending text messages, but later they competed in terms of taking photos, battery life, and charging speed, making them like Transformers.
Nowadays, cars also have this function. Not only can they be driven, but they can also be used for meetings, karaoke, and sleeping.
Do you think this is an exaggeration? No, it's precisely because researching user product needs is such a crucial role that manufacturers are starting to seriously listen to the voices of their users.
You think it's black technology, but it actually understands human language
Many functions that look "high-end" actually do not have very advanced technologies behind them.
For example, features like video conferencing in the car, panoramic sunroofs, automatic fragrance systems, and children's modes... are not because engineers have wildly creative ideas, but because they have a team that studies users every day, down to the last detail.
Behind all of this lies that inconspicuous but crucial role that determines the life or death of a company— user needs research.
E-commerceA must-learn lesson for bosses: Don’t study traffic, study people first
As someone who has been engaged in e-commerce for many years, I can say with all my heart:
In every company, the highest-paid position is not online marketing operations or advertising investment, but the "product demand research" position.
Why? Because this is the most valuable brain work.
Traffic is important, but it is just an amplifier.
If your product is bad, the traffic will increase the return rate.
If your product is great, traffic will amplify profits and repeat purchases.
Just like the water seller, if he is not heading in the right direction, all his efforts will be in vain.
"Understanding people" is the key, not "understanding advertising"
I have seen too many newcomers who took a bunch of traffic data and made a lot of investments, but in the end the data still failed.
But one product manager spent an entire night scrolling through the comments section on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) , and with just one suggestion for improvement, the sales of the entire SKU tripled.
You say traffic is important? Of course it is important, but what supports the traffic?
It depends on whether you have accurately identified the user's "pain point".
Finding a pain point is better than shooting 100 videos.
Market segmentation is no longer a trend, but a law of survival
In the past we talked about “big and complete”, but now the competition among e-commerce companies is about “small and beautiful”.
Stop thinking about making products that “everyone can use”. The world has changed and people are becoming more and more individualistic.
The business today is about targeting a specific group of people with a specific, detailed need, and precisely capturing their attention.
For example, there are mobile phone cases designed specifically for taking photos of pets, and thermos cups suitable for night shift drivers.
These products may not be technologically advanced, but as long as they meet the needs, they will be the next blockbuster.
Only when you understand it can you sell it
If you don’t understand the user’s pain points, you can’t even articulate the selling points of your product.
If the research is not done well, it is like selling blind boxes with your eyes blindfolded, relying on luck, not brains.
But if you can master the research methods, even the most ordinary products can tap into the market.
You can even do nothing but conduct research, develop product recommendations, and sell them to those capable of producing them—that's the profit margin created by information asymmetry.
What I study most is never traffic, but human nature.
I've taken detours myself.
I used to think that advertising was the way to go and spending money was a shortcut to sales.
Why do I still not make money even after copying popular products ? Later I realized that for those best-selling products, advertising is just the surface; the real power comes from their understanding of people.
People's anxieties, confusions, and dreams are all hidden in user comments, Moments shares, and Xiaohongshu notes.
The more you know, the easier it is to sell.
Summary: Research is not a supporting role, it is the king bomb
Researching user needs is not a "supporting role" but the protagonist that determines whether you can make money.
If you are a business owner, whether it's e-commerce, SaaS, or physical products, you should value the "product requirements" role.
Give them a raise, give them resources, and give them a voice; their insights may be the starting point for the next hit.
If you are a working person, you can also switch to doing demand research.
In the future, the most valuable skill will not be the ability to place ads, but the ability to understand the unspoken thoughts in users' minds.
How to start?
- Go to the user comments section and read what they really say.
- Take the initiative to call customers and ask, "What do you think is the most unpleasant thing about this product?"
- Observe negative reviews of your competitors to identify opportunities that others may have overlooked.
- Go to Xiaohongshu, Zhihu,VibratoMining the gold mine of user feedback.
Every tiny insight may be the trigger for millions of sales.
So stop waiting, stop chasing traffic— spend your time on user needs, and you'll thank yourself for it.
Hopefully, the article "Why Nobody Buys Your Product? 99% of E-commerce Sellers Ignore This Key Role!" shared on Chen Weiliang's blog ( https://www.chenweiliang.com/ ) will be helpful to you.
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