Empathy: The Product Manager’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
Hey folks,
I’m Andria, and I’ve been a product manager for over a decade, working with everyone from B2B SaaS to e-commerce brands. I think I’ve got a pretty unique perspective on the product management space, and I’ve seen firsthand how empathy can completely shift the way we build products. It’s a skill (I use that word very intentionally) that I don’t think is mentioned nearly enough on the infinite internet lists of what makes a good product manager. So I decided to change that.
Why Empathy Isn’t Just a Buzzword
It’s so much more than being ✨nice✨. Empathy is the secret sauce for creating products that actually resonate with users, external and otherwise. At its core, product management is really about understanding your user’s pain points, getting into their heads, and then designing solutions that genuinely make their lives/jobs/hobbies/whatever easier and more enjoyable.
As product managers, we want everyone to be a promoter. And incorporating empathy into our approach is truly the difference between a product that’s just functional and one that people actually love to use and will recommend.
Empathy is not a soft skill. In fact, it’s the hardest skill we learn — to relate to the world, to relate to people that matter the most to us. — Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO
How to Build Empathy into Your Process
- User Research is Your BFF: Talk to your users, like, really talk to them. Interviews, surveys, usability tests, product analytics tools… do whatever it takes to figure out their needs, wants, and frustrations.
- Create User Personas: I’ll admit, this isn’t my favorite thing to do, but the takeaways speak for themselves. Use the insights gained from your research to create detailed (and very specific) user personas. These aren’t just about demographics, they’re about understanding the real people behind the data and understanding the different use cases that your product addresses.
- Eat Your Own Dog Food: Legitimately hate this euphemism, but it’s one that gets the message across. Use your own product regularly. Like everyday. In the ways your users will use it. You’ll be surprised how many weird edge cases, bugs, and just weird experiences you’ll come across that are much better found by you than your customer.
- Cultivate a Culture of Empathy: This one is HUGE for me and is probably the most important thing on this list for me personally. Make empathy a cornerstone of how you build, maintain, and interact with your team. Celebrate wins. Show genuine gratitude. Take the time to understand different perspectives. Make sure everyone knows and feels that their input is being heard and considered. Foster an environment that makes people want to be a part of your team.
- Iterate and Improve: Empathy isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s more than a buzzword to drop when you bring on a new hire. Be willing to adapt when things don’t go as expected. Humble yourself.
The Bottom Line
Empathy isn’t just good for your users, it’s good for your team, your company culture, and your bottom line. Making a commitment to an empathetic product practice isn’t the sexiest thing for investors or C-suite folks, but the results of incorporating empathy into the fabric of how you operate will speak for itself.
Stay empathetic friends,
~A
