Shipping features users never asked for — and why it worked
How deep workflow observation uncovers non-obvious operational optimizations that direct customer interviews miss.
Customers are experts on their current pain points, but rarely articulate architectural automations. Observing real operational workflows allows engineering teams to build transformative solutions that redefine workflows.
Observing What Users Do, Not Just What They Say
During early development of eSchool ERP, school administrators requested complex spreadsheet export tools to help them manually balance schedules. Instead of building a better spreadsheet exporter, we engineered an automated algorithmic timetable constraint solver.
By understanding the root problem rather than simply implementing the requested intermediate tool, we eliminated weeks of manual effort and created our highest-retention feature.
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