Editorial note: The original case and line of thinking came from a friend, and I moved it onto my blog back then. I hadn’t actually built a product myself at that time, so this only keeps the problem breakdown and does not pretend to present a complete methodology.
After the Double Eleven shopping spree, I realized there were things my friends had bought that I also wanted, but I hadn’t known about them beforehand, so I missed out. On the other hand, when I wanted to share with friends what was worth buying, switching back and forth between WeChat and the shopping cart was exhausting, so in the end I only recommended one or two things.
This sounds like one need, but it is actually at least two scenarios. Don’t rush into thinking about features — first get the problem clear:
- What is the real reason you didn’t buy? Was it not knowing about the product, not knowing about the promotion, or being unable to make the decision at the right moment?
- Does this problem only happen during Double Eleven? Does it also occur in other promotions, holidays, or everyday shopping?
- Is this problem worth solving? How big is its impact, and what value would solving it bring?
Once the problem is confirmed, look at the existing solutions and the sharing behavior: why share, share from where, share what, to whom, and how much can be shared? And what is it that stops this from happening?
Only last comes the solution. How do you verify whether it works, what metrics to watch, for how long, what pitfalls there might be, and how to implement it.
This sequence of course cannot guarantee a good product, but at least it can hold back the impulse of “I’ve already thought of a solution.” First get the problem clear, then talk about the solution.