#003 - Cloudy with a Chance of SaaS
Apple Research Secrets
Apple’s Research Capabilities
The iPhone came out of Steve’s observation that most people hated their phones, but also couldn’t live without them. He had the benefit that screens, processors, and batteries all aligned at that point in time to enable the creation of this world and life-changing device. This digital Fastpass (yes like the pass at Disney, which gives the cool kids access that you might not have or be able to figure out) enabled by the iPhone, and smartphones in general will continue to change the world around us for decades to come. Observations about human challenges and the willingness to explore them, and create items for humans is one of the greatest gifts of mankind. The bisociation of taking multiple inputs and coming up with a solution seems to be uniquely human and what makes being a software developer so amazing. Observing the world around you, as Steve did, gives you an empty canvas for you to fill in with the brilliance that is your SaaS idea, provided it answers some human need.
The Biggest Mistake of Research
In my Master’s program, I learned that a basic core of designing is to remember that you are not the end user of your SaaS. Thinking you are the end user, is the biggest mistake made in the creation, design, and research of any offer. Someone else is the end user always, and you need to find those people and watch them do things in the space you want to innovate in. That’s what Apple did when they designed the iPhone. They applied Design Thinking and spent countless hours watching people use phones. They broke down people's experiences with their mobile phones and watched people in context. As they watched, they employed low-fidelity methods like sketching and brainstorming to create many possible outcomes and capabilities. It’s not enough to have people tell you how they use a product, you need to see them use it in multiple scenarios and while performing multiple tasks. By observing real users you will be creating and fostering empathy for your target audience that will better equip you to create the offerings needed by your users. If you create and design in this way, your users will then become sponsors and evangelists for your offerings. Having your users do this for you, is the holy grail of product delivery.
Research to Power Your SaaS
Does your SaaS meet Humans where they are, or where you wish them to be? We have all experienced technology that failed us. The United Airlines App and Website have different password length requirements, with zero indication as to what the correct password requirements are. AWS with RDS and the MySQL implementation seems to have the same issue, I’m still researching it. From SaaS applications that don’t curate the next best action for us as users, to products that might not deliver the business value we need as users, technical founders often fall into the trap of believing that all users are willing to invest a nearly infinite amount of time becoming great at technology like them. By doing your research before, during, and after creation, you can ensure you are meeting the needs of your users. The reality of the modern world is that everyone is overwhelmed with learning the next interface or tool. Apple and others have tremendous research and delivery processes and methods that are constantly raising the bar as to what is expected of all products in the marketplace. By using research to guide what you want to create, and measure what you delivered, you will create a feedback loop and process that makes your users love you, instead of tolerate you.
Thank You
Jim ‘The Designatic’ Tyrrell