The Problem Space is where we go to learn about our users’ problems so we can design and develop meaningful and profitable solutions to solve these problems. It’s also where we go to learn about our companies, our employees/coworkers, and ourselves, so we can create the best organizational conditions for success.
How do you communicate uncertainty? + reflections on SaaSiest Amsterdam
What's on my mind
How do you communicate uncertainty?
Communicating that you're not sure about something - whether it's an answer to someone's question or the rationale behind making a decision - can be terrifying.
We feel compelled to present ourselves as authoritative and highly knowledgeable, because we feel that’s what people expect from us.
But isn’t it more harmful to convey total confidence when you don’t actually have it?
Or, to look at this from a different perspective - what if communicating our uncertainty meant that we help OTHERS think more critically about the problem AND feel more confident in sharing their own knowledge?
I’m currently re-reading Annie Duke’s book Thinking in Bets. She argues that when we communicate our uncertainty, we make it easier for others to share their knowledge. In her words (emphasis mine):
Have you tried this tactic? How did it go? What impact did it have, on you and on others?
Reporting from SaaSiest Amsterdam
I'm on an ongoing quest to understand the world of tech. I started in UX/user research but find myself continuously zooming out to the broader context of where that insights work takes place.
In that spirit, last week I attended SaaSiest Amsterdam.
The audience overwhelmingly consisted of people working at B2B SaaS startups (source: a show of hands before one of the talks) and among those, many founders were present (source: scanning name tags in the breaks/at the party).
I noticed several themes that also come up regularly at research and product conferences: We're trying to be more customer-focused, and we're seeking better ways to be impactful in our roles inside companies. A few examples:
- Customer Success also does discovery - and if they don't, they are not being properly enabled (Mick Weijers)
- QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews) need to be revamped to have a stronger customer focus - the customer is supposed to be the main speaker in these meetings (Jennifer Peters)
- ABM (Account-Based Marketing) is not a marketing strategy, but is business-based - and can only succeed if sales and marketing work together (Katrine Rasmussen)
My conclusion? All disciplines are struggling to find their place and take ownership over what they see as essential for their roles. One way we do this is by claiming our own terminology.
Placing these issues in the context of a more general business conference like SaaSiest: With so many founders in the room, I want to learn more about how they approach these conferences as a way to learn about doing business - by listening to top voices across disciplines.
But they are also being exposed to divisions within those disciplines, and turf wars between disciplines.
I admire the founder who can listen to these talks with a discerning ear and chart a path forward that works best for their business.
The Problem Space
by Janelle Ward
The Problem Space is where we go to learn about our users’ problems so we can design and develop meaningful and profitable solutions to solve these problems. It’s also where we go to learn about our companies, our employees/coworkers, and ourselves, so we can create the best organizational conditions for success.
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