User-Centered Design

User-centered design zeros in on the people who actually use your product, prioritizing core users’ needs over trying to please every stakeholder or shoehorning features for every role from day one. This approach delivers faster, more useful experiences for the team doing the work while preserving respect and collaboration across teammates. The surprising payoff is that saying no to peripheral requests often strengthens trust and clarity, enabling focused iterations and cleaner roadmaps. Embrace principled trade-offs: define primary users, align your team around their workflows, and defer or validate additional roles later to create a product that truly empowers its users.