Episode 5: Coming to Terms with my Human Condition
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Week 5 — what a week it was at Impact Central!
We had sessions on UX from the awesome Dan Hyde and Alex Blondin, forecasting from the highly inspirational Tom Savigar, and strategy from the Impact Central HQ team.
I’m gonna tell you one revelation I experienced from each session. The thing that stuck with me. (Oh, this was already 2.5 weeks ago — yeah, yeah I know I’m behind schedule…)
Xperience
There was once a founder who thought she had a really cool idea. She tested it with some people. Then some more people. She sent out questionnaires and feedback forms and emails.
Yeah, it’s a good idea and it works, she thought. People seem to like it.
Why don’t you interview people? Someone asks.
What a waste of time. I know what my customers need! She replies.
Be honest with yourself. How much is assumption — and how much do you know for sure?
Of course you have to make assumptions. You can’t know everything 100%. Even when people give feedback you have to read between the lines. People don’t wanna disappoint you.
But UX research never ends. Building something is an evolving process.
So why don’t I get off my arse and organise interviews with my customers?
It’s a new concept I call ‘failing slowly’.
A fear of failure. A fear of being wrong. At least if I don’t speak to anyone I can pretend everything’s alright.
Well, it’s part of ‘the human condition’. But it’s also a reeeally bad strategy.
The Unfavourable Condition of Being Human
And there’s another problem. The human condition that is the unwillingness or inability to choose.
Us humans don’t want to narrow our choices down. We don’t want to commit. We love having options.
(It’s not just me. This has been proven by studies in human behaviour.)
But we have to realise what we’re compromising to keep our options open.
But I want to help everyone in the world go more plant-based!
From Sally, the 24 year old runner who’s low on iron, to John, the 67 year old who’s worried about his teeth falling out. I can’t turn them away!
‘You have to. Serving everyone isn’t coherent. You’ll be all over the place. And you won’t serve anyone well’, says my brain.
A coherent strategy pushes resources toward some ends and away from others.
I’m serving plant-based people in their 30s and 40s wanting to understand their body’s needs, know what to eat to optimise their health and live longer.
Screw the rest of them! (Joking not joking.)
Nurture Your Crystal Ball
No I’m not a crazy hippy who believes in fate.
But as an entrepreneur you have to predict the future. And to do that you need to be:
- Brave
- Understanding of human needs
- Willing to take risks
If you’re missing just ONE of these ingredients your business can never be a good contribution to society.
Because business isn’t just about products. Business exists for it’s contribution to people. Not for productivity. But for culture. For society. For our future.
So what am I trying to do for my customers?
Tom taught me a phase that I’ll always remember. ‘How might we?’
I love it. It invites creativity, rather than pressuring. It inspires ideas rather than shutting doors. It lifts possibilities rather then closes down.
- How might we build trust and foster human connection?
- How might we sell a more meaningful, positive lifestyle?
- How might we protect consumers from consumerism?
I want you to understand your body, your needs. To not have to take a million supplements ‘just in case’. I want you to eat what’s right for your DNA and your lifestyle. To live a healthy, long life. To make the right consumer choices for you.
What about you?
