Don't just collect feedback from all users equally. Identify and listen closely to the few "visionary users" who intuitively grasp what's next. Their detailed feedback can serve as a powerful validation and even a blueprint for your long-term product strategy.

The most valuable consumer insights are not in analytics dashboards, but in the raw, qualitative feedback within social media comments. Winning brands invest in teams whose sole job is to read and interpret this chatter, providing a competitive advantage that quantitative data alone cannot deliver.

CEOs provide a curated view of their company's culture. To get an accurate picture, talk to people who have left the organization on good terms for an unfiltered perspective. Also, ask behavioral questions like 'What would you tell a friend to do to be successful here?' to uncover the real cultural DNA.

While AI efficiently transcribes user interviews, true customer insight comes from ethnographic research—observing users in their natural environment. What people say is often different from their actual behavior. Don't let AI tools create a false sense of understanding that replaces direct observation.

It's not enough for platform PMs to interview their direct users (developers). To build truly enabling platforms, you must also gain wider context by sitting in on the developers' own customer interviews. This provides deep empathy for the entire value chain, leading to better platform decisions.

Dermalogica's founder noticed qualified students retaking classes not just for education, but for community. This insight applies broadly: the strongest pull for a service business is often the connection and sisterhood with like-minded peers. The service (e.g., a fitness class) can be the excuse for the real product: community.

Stanford GSB's iconic "Change lives..." tagline wasn't created by executives or an agency. It was forged in a workshop with staff from admissions, fundraising, and marketing, ensuring authentic, organization-wide buy-in from its inception.

Instead of approaching leaders first, engage end-users to gather 'ammunition' about their daily pains. They may not have buying power, but their firsthand accounts create a powerful internal case (groundswell) that you can then present to management, making the approach much warmer and more relevant.