How to Really Diagnose Pain Points

Innovation requires many inputs, not just a “list” of feedback from customers and your sales team.

It’s easy to fall into that trap, because customers represent a critical channel for feedback – yet they shouldn’t be the only one. Yes, they understand their pain, but engineers need more information to create true innovation in order to alleviate that pain.

I often talk about the difference between a doctor and a pharmacy.

If you, as a customer, go to the pharmacy and say, “I need ABC over-the-counter medicine,” they will simply give you what you ask for.

But if you go to a doctor complaining of stomach pain, he or she will try to “diagnose” your problem and dig deeper beyond the obvious symptoms.

The doctor may ask, “Do you have a family history of ulcers?” Or there may be a conversation about your diet and eating habits, as well as your stress levels. You may also be asked how long you’ve had the pain. Finally, the doctor may look at your charts and see that you’re on an anti-inflammatory medication that causes stomach pain when you don’t take it with food.

Working with the doctor, you’ll get to a better, more sustainable answer than simply drinking bottles of Pepto Bismol.

Listen to your customers; but don’t forget that innovation requires focusing on the problem from all angles, and really thinking about the right solution – not just working off lists.