You’re Probably Missing Your Best Product Insights

Hey friends,

We’re all constantly gathering feedback—through interviews, analytics, or surveys—but what if I told you that some of your best product insights are hiding in plain sight?

Over the years, I’ve learned that game-changing product revelations often come from places we overlook. So, I’m sharing a few lessons that have helped me uncover hidden insights and shape better products.

🎯 Lesson 1: The Shortcut to Customer Empathy is Their Annoyance

One of the fastest ways to build empathy with your customers is by tuning into their frustrations. While it’s tempting to focus on positive feedback or refining features, real breakthroughs often come from understanding what annoys users the most.

Users won’t always tell you what they need, but they will show you through their complaints, confused messages, and workarounds.

Where to Look:

💬 Repetitive questions in support tickets
📉 Drop-off points in workflows
🤔 Users doing things in unexpected ways

Instead of dismissing these as “edge cases,” treat them as clues to a bigger problem.

🚀 Lesson 2: Your Public Beta Isn’t a Launch, It’s a Test

Too many PMs treat public betas like final launches. But here’s the truth: betas are tests, not finished products. They’re a chance to validate assumptions, gather real-world feedback, and make adjustments before going fully live.

Before moving from beta to GA, ask:
✅ Are users adopting it naturally, or are we forcing it?
✅ Are we still making major changes based on feedback?
✅ Would one more iteration improve the experience?

Sometimes, waiting just one extra week can mean the difference between a smooth launch and a support nightmare.

🔍 Lesson 3: Are You Snooping Enough?

We talk so much about talking to customers, but sometimes, the most valuable insights come from simply observing.

Early in my career, a manager jokingly called me “Nancy Drew” because I was always digging through support tickets, sales calls, and Slack threads. I took it as a dig—like I was being too nosy.

But now? I realize it’s one of the best parts of my job.

Some of the most valuable product insights don’t come from dashboards. They come from paying attention to the friction people are already experiencing.

Where to Look:

🔍 Support tickets – What’s frustrating customers right now? Recurring themes usually point to bigger problems.
📢 Sales calls – What objections keep coming up? If the same concerns get raised repeatedly, your positioning (or product) might need a rethink.
✨ Customer workarounds – What are users doing instead of using your product? Creative hacks often reveal unmet needs.

🏗️ Lesson 4: What Small Teams Taught Me About Being a Better PM

Early in my career, I worked on a tiny product team. We didn’t have endless resources, so we had to be scrappy:

💡 We obsessed over what actually mattered. No one had time for “nice-to-haves.”
📢 We over-communicated. When you’re small, alignment is everything.
🔍 We got creative. If a tool didn’t exist, we found a way around it.

Small teams have a unique advantage: there’s no room for fluff. Everything has to count.

Even now, in a larger org, I ask myself:
✅ Would I still prioritize this if I had half the resources?
✅ Have I explained this so someone outside my team would understand?
✅ If I couldn’t build this, what’s another way to solve the problem?

💡 Final Thoughts

The best PMs aren’t just great builders—they’re great detectives.

The next time you’re stuck, don’t wait for feedback to come to you. Go snoop around. The insights are already there—you just have to find them.

👉 What’s the most surprising insight you’ve uncovered just by paying closer attention? Reply and let me know—I read every response!

Until next time,
Stefanie