Disclaimer: This blog is independently written and published by me. The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer’s view in any way.
Listening to Customers Can Be Misleading
In today’s era of user empathy, it can feel almost sacrilegious to question what customers say. But any seasoned product leader knows this truth: what people claim to want and what they truly value are often worlds apart.
While at Capital One Labs, I ran a qualitative study to explore whether customers cared about the physical design of their credit cards—the material, weight, color, or shape. The responses were nearly unanimous:
“Absolutely not.”
“Only rewards matter.”
“Design? That’s something other people care about, not me.”
The takeaway? Credit cards were purely functional. Or so I thought.
Then I came across a behavioral study showing that people frequently choose to use cards with less attractive rewards if those cards display higher social status—like a platinum card—especially in public. This opened my eyes: people may say function matters most, but behavior reveals something else entirely.
Jobs to Be Done: Functional vs. Emotional Value
As a longtime student of the Jobs to Be Done framework, I understood that products often serve both functional and emotional jobs. Functional jobs are straightforward—get me from A to B, make me dinner faster, etc. Emotional jobs are more subtle—make me feel powerful, admired, accomplished, or attractive.
A classic example: Beats by Dre. If Beats had simply asked consumers what they wanted in headphones, they’d have heard the usual suspects: “sound quality,” “noise cancellation,” “comfort.” But Beats succeeded by doing something radically different—they optimized for emotional value. They made headphones that signaled coolness, not technical superiority. And it worked—$3 billion worth.
Emotional value is hard to quantify, and harder to defend. It’s tough to go to stakeholders with a product pitch grounded in “how people want to feel,” especially when your user research says otherwise. But that’s often where the biggest, most differentiated opportunities lie.
Why What People Say Isn’t Always What They Mean
This led me to explore a deeper question: Why do people often downplay their emotional or status-driven motivations?
The answer lies in social stigma. Research shows that status striving is deeply embedded in everyday life—but most people conceal it. We’ve been culturally conditioned to view materialism as vain or insecure, especially among the affluent, and especially in today’s social media age where status is demonstrated less through luxury goods and more through curated experiences.
Credit cards are naturally tied to wealth and privilege. Using one in public is a display of purchasing power, and for some, a subtle power move. But that same context makes them a minefield of social perception. Consumers, particularly younger ones, want to show status—but not too obviously. That’s where traditional cards like the platinum or black cards fall flat—they’re too loud. Today’s consumers seek stealth wealth.
So… Should You Listen to Customers?
Yes—but not at face value. Your real insights lie in behavior, not opinion. Customers often aren’t aware of their own motivations—or are unwilling to voice them. So rather than asking, “Would you use this?” or “Do you care about design?”, ask:
What do they actually choose?
What do they show off to friends?
What makes them feel proud?
How do they want to feel about themselves?
A great example is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Customers rave about the “smart” travel perks and rewards—but what the card actually signals is status. The benefits become a socially acceptable narrative (“I got this for the amazing points”), while the high-end material and sleek design deliver emotional value—without the stigma of old-school luxury.
Design to Convey and Conceal Status
So how do you create products that appeal to emotional needs without making users feel uncomfortable?
Design your product to convey status subtly—while giving consumers a different, “safe” reason to justify their purchase.
BMW drivers don’t say, “I bought it to feel powerful.” They say, “It’s the engineering.” Apple users don’t talk about how the MacBook makes them feel elevated—they talk about the ecosystem or battery life. As a designer or PM, your job is to build the experience they want to feel—and then give them a socially acceptable explanation for having it.
Final Thought
Talking to customers is critical—but interpreting what they say with the right lens is where the real magic happens. It’s not deception—it’s insight. Understanding how humans operate socially, emotionally, and subconsciously will unlock product decisions that your competitors miss.
If you want to go deeper, I highly recommend:
Customers Included by Mark Hurst
The Sum of Small Things by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett
And if you’re designing a product and want to tap into its hidden emotional value? I’m always open to chat.