Stop Building Features, Start Solving Problems

Here's a hard truth: Your users don't want more features. They want their problems solved.

Every week, teams ship new features that nobody uses. They add complexity without adding value. They build feature graveyards instead of solutions that matter.

The difference between successful products and abandoned ones isn't the number of features. It's how well they solve real problems.

The Feature Trap

The trap looks like this:

1. Users request Feature X
2. You build Feature X
3. Usage barely increases
4. Users request Features Y and Z
5. Repeat until your product is bloated and confusing

Sound familiar? You're not alone. We've seen this pattern hundreds of times.

The issue isn't that users are wrong. It's that they're giving you solutions instead of problems.

What Users Say vs. What They Mean

What they say: "I need better reporting"

What they mean: "I can't easily see if I'm hitting my goals"

What they say: "Add integrations with X, Y, Z"

What they mean: "I'm spending too much time copying data between tools"

What they say: "The dashboard needs more customization"

What they mean: "The information I need isn't easy to find"

See the pattern? Users describe solutions. Your job is to understand problems.

The Problem-First Framework

Step 1: Stop and Ask "Why?"

When someone requests a feature, ask:

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• How are you doing this today?
• What makes the current way frustrating?
• What would success look like?

Step 2: Observe Real Behavior

Don't just ask what people do. Watch them do it.

• Screen recordings of actual usage
• Support ticket analysis for common struggles
• Analytics data showing where people get stuck
• User session replays to see real workflows

Step 3: Identify the Root Problem

Often, the real problem is 2-3 levels deeper than the feature request.

Example:

• Surface request: "Add more fields to the form"
• Real problem: "I can't capture the information I need to qualify leads"
• Root cause: The form doesn't match their sales process

Step 4: Design the Minimal Solution

Ask: "What's the smallest change that solves this problem?"

Often it's not a new feature. It might be:

• Reorganizing existing information
• Changing default settings
• Improving copy or instructions
• Removing unnecessary steps

Case Study: The Dashboard That Nobody Used

The Request: "We need a customizable dashboard with widgets, drag-and-drop, and different views."

What We Built Instead: We watched 10 users try to find information in their current dashboard.

What We Found:

• 90% of users looked for the same 3 pieces of information
• The current dashboard buried this info in widgets they didn't care about
• Users ignored 80% of the existing features

The Solution:

• Made the 3 key metrics the default view
• Added one-click access to detailed breakdowns
• Removed 6 widgets nobody used

Result:

• Dashboard usage increased 300%
• Time to find information decreased by 60%
• Zero customization features needed

The Jobs-to-be-Done Mindset

People don't buy products. They hire them to do jobs.

Instead of thinking: "What features should we add to our project management tool?"

Think: "What jobs are people hiring project management tools to do?"

Common jobs:

• "Help me stay on top of what everyone's working on"
• "Make sure nothing important falls through the cracks"
• "Give me confidence that we'll hit our deadlines"
• "Help me communicate progress to stakeholders"

Build for jobs, not features.

How to Research Problems (Not Solutions)

The Problem Interview Script

Don't ask: "What features would you like?"

Do ask:

1. "Walk me through your typical workflow"
2. "Where do you usually get stuck?"
3. "What takes longer than it should?"
4. "What do you wish was easier?"
5. "What would your ideal outcome look like?"

The Day-in-the-Life Study

Spend time watching users work:

• Shadow them for 2-4 hours
• Note when they seem frustrated
• Ask about workarounds they've created
• Identify repeated actions

The Support Ticket Goldmine

Your support tickets are a goldmine of problem data:

• What do people get confused about?
• Where do workflows break down?
• What workarounds do people create?
• What questions get asked repeatedly?

The Build vs. Buy vs. Integrate Decision

Not every problem needs a new feature. Sometimes the best solution is:

Don't build it: Point users to existing tools that solve this better Integrate it: Connect with tools users already love Simplify it: Remove complexity instead of adding features

Measuring Problem-Solution Fit

Good metrics:

• Time to complete core workflows
• Frequency of support requests for specific issues
• User retention after solving key problems
• NPS scores with specific feedback

Bad metrics:

• Number of features shipped
• Feature adoption rates in isolation
• Generic satisfaction scores

The Problem Backlog

Instead of a feature backlog, try a problem backlog:

Traditional: "Add export functionality" Problem-focused: "Users can't easily share data with stakeholders"

Traditional: "Build mobile app"
Problem-focused: "Users need access to key information when they're not at their desk"

Traditional: "Improve search" Problem-focused: "Users can't quickly find information they know exists"

Common Problem-Solving Mistakes

1. Solving Problems You Don't Have

Building for hypothetical users instead of real ones.

2. Solving Problems Once

Assuming one solution works for everyone.

3. Solving Symptoms, Not Causes

Fixing surface issues without addressing root problems.

4. Solving Everything at Once

Trying to be all things to all people.

Your Action Plan

This Week:

1. List your last 10 feature requests
2. Identify the underlying problem for each
3. Find 3 users who have these problems
4. Schedule problem interviews

This Month:

1. Analyze support tickets for common problems
2. Watch 5 users complete key workflows
3. Identify the #1 problem that affects most users
4. Design the minimal solution

This Quarter:

1. Implement problem-first product planning
2. Train your team to ask "why?" before building
3. Set up systems to continuously collect problem data
4. Measure problem-solution fit, not just feature adoption

The Bottom Line

Features are commodities. Problems are opportunities.

Your competitors can copy your features. They can't copy your deep understanding of user problems.

Stop asking "What should we build?" Start asking "What problems should we solve?"

The teams that win are the ones that solve problems better, not the ones with the most features.

Struggling to identify what problems to solve first? Get a UX audit and we'll show you exactly where users are getting stuck.