The Customer Is Not Always Right and That Is Okay

Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash

Introduction: Challenging the Customer-Centric Myth

“Listen to the customer.”
“Let the customer lead.”

These phrases have become gospel in the world of product management. But what if I told you that building great products isn’t about doing exactly what customers say?

As a product manager, strategist, and startup partner, I’ve learned this truth the hard way:

The customer is not always right. And that’s okay.

Let’s talk about why.

Customers Know Their Problems, Not the Right Solutions

One of the biggest traps product teams fall into is taking customer suggestions at face value.

Yes, customers are incredible at identifying pain points. They can tell you when something’s not working, confusing, or slow. That’s valuable.

But when it comes to prescribing solutions?

That’s where things get blurry.

“Just add a chatbot, that’ll fix it.”
“Make this work like TikTok!”

You build that… and regret it. Fast.

Here’s the thing:
The customer isn’t hired to design your product. You are.

Our role is to understand the problem beneath the request, then translate that insight into features that actually drive retention, adoption, and business value.

Real Talk: Users Often Don’t Know What They Really Want

Let’s be honest.
Most breakthrough features? Nobody asked for them.

• Instagram Stories?
• LinkedIn Threads?
• Spotify’s AI DJ?

These weren’t customer requests — they were responses to observed behaviour, uncovered through smart product discovery and strategic innovation.

Your job as a product leader isn’t to say “yes” to every suggestion.
It’s to uncover what users actually need, then build it better than they imagined.

How to Balance Customer Feedback with Product Strategy

Here’s what I’ve learned across my work with EdTech, FinTech, and HealthTech startups:

1. Validate Problems, Not Preferences

Use interviews, analytics, and surveys to identify common pain patterns.
Don’t chase feature requests, chase root causes.

2. Separate the Signal from the Noise

Not all feedback is equally valuable. Prioritise what aligns with your product vision, stage, and goals.

3. Educate Stakeholders on Strategic Listening

Make it clear that being customer-centric doesn’t mean being customer-controlled.
Product leaders listen deeply but we also decide wisely.

Final Thought: Empathy Is Not Obedience

Empathy means listening with intention, not reacting without thought.

So the next time a customer says, “This is what you should build,” smile, nod, and dig deeper. Ask why. Discover the pain, not just the preference.

Why you may ask? The answer is quite simple: You’re not here to take orders. You’re here to create value.

And that’s how you build a product that lasts.