With A Straight Bat

Human Psychology | Marketing

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Products aren’t just lifeless tools hanging out in your toolbox. They’re the party-starters, the mood-changers, the life-transforming wizards in our daily lives! A dialogue with myself.

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Hey, you know how most companies focus solely on their product’s core function? I’ve been thinking, maybe there’s more to it than just that.

Hamlet Soliloquy: How so?

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Think about it. Many companies are so fixated on the ‘for’ aspect, as in, what their product does for the customer. Like, a vacuum cleaner cleans for you, a car drives for you, and so on.

Hamlet Soliloquy: Right. That’s the basic value proposition. They provide a solution to a problem.

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Absolutely. But what if we went beyond that? What if, instead of just focusing on what the product does for the person, we looked at what it does to the person?

Hamlet Soliloquy: Hmm, interesting angle. Can you give an example?

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Let’s take a music streaming service. At its core, it plays music for you. But what if, instead of just offering playlists and songs, it crafted experiences? Imagine if it understood your mood or your daily routines and played tunes that not only entertained but influenced how you feel. So, it’s not just playing music for you; it’s altering or enhancing your emotions to change your day.

Hamlet Soliloquy: That’s deep! So, it’s more about the deeper, often intangible effects the product has on an individual?

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Exactly! It’s about the transformative experience. Like, fitness apps don’t just track steps for you; they can change your entire lifestyle, making you more health-conscious and active. So, they’re doing something to you as well, not just for you.

Hamlet Soliloquy: That makes a lot of sense. It’s about creating more meaningful, transformative relationships with users by understanding and shaping their experiences, not just fulfilling a basic need.

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Bingo! It’s a paradigm shift. By focusing on the “to”, companies can build deeper emotional connections, which could lead to higher loyalty and engagement. It’s about enriching lives, not just making them more convenient.

Hamlet Soliloquy: And I suppose it requires more empathy and understanding of users. It’s a more human-centered approach rather than just product-centered.

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Precisely. By going beyond the core and looking at the larger impact and experience, companies can make products that resonate more deeply and are more meaningful in people’s lives. Btw, you know, this whole ‘doing to’ versus ‘doing for’ idea kind of reminds me of our relationships too.

Hamlet Soliloquy: How?

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Well, think about it. With some friends or family, we don’t just do things for them, like buying them a coffee. We actually do things to them, like giving them a laugh or changing their mood for the day.

Hamlet Soliloquy: Oh, I get it! So, it’s like not just doing the act, but impacting how they feel or their state of mind. Kind of deep for a Friday chat, don’t you think?

Shantanu Chakraborthy: Haha, always up for deep chats, no matter the day! But yeah, it’s about the deeper influence we have, beyond the obvious actions.