beepm’s approach
Early in my career as a PM, I prided myself on being entirely data-driven. While scaling a new product line, my CTO/Head of Product gave me some feedback that stayed with me: 'Pratyush, you're optimizing the map, but you're ignoring the hikers.'
I was focused on a series of A/B tests to improve a conversion funnel. The data showed a 10% lift in 'Add to Cart,' but our long-term retention was stalling. The feedback was that I was so focused on the micro-metrics of the click that I had stopped looking at the macro-anxiety of the user.
The Change: I shifted my approach from looking at 'drop-off percentages' to conducting deep 'Jobs-to-be-Done' interviews. I realized that while our UI was efficient, our users felt a 'trust deficit'—they didn't understand why they should trust us with their healthcare/insurance.
The Result: I stopped the incremental UI testing and pivoted the roadmap to focus on 'Radical Transparency'—adding real-time expert validation and brand-trust signals. This didn't just move the needle by 5%; it doubled our bookings. Since then, my 'gut intuition' is always to ask: 'The data tells me what is happening, but does the user interview tell me why?