A lot of times product managers are so focused the details of the features that are being built and how customers will interact with them that they forget about how customers become aware of and purchase your product. What goes through the mind of a shopper when they are making that decision to purchase.
This reminds of me of what many of the top consumer goods companies do to understand their consumers. They set up a grocery store (fully stocked and functional) on site and watch consumers make their purchase decisions. This is probably why all the kids cereals are on the bottom shelf and all the ones with fiber and oats are at the top :) After they make a purchase decision they interview them and really dig into the psyche of the customer.
How many of us have had a competitor launch a whiz bang feature that you have never even consider? For example, in the early days of LCD TVs no one ever heard of 60Hz or 120Hz, etc. Now it's like an arms race with this stuff (just read the latest Crutchfield). A company made it a purchase criteria through its heavy marketing and then everyone had to follow suit. I'm willing to bet 99% of consumers could not tell the difference between 120Hz and 240Hz. The problem with this feature is that it is easy to duplicate, so any competitive advantage is fleeting.
So as many folks approach you about a feature, always keep in mind your customer and how they decide to make their purchase and don't think that it doesn't change. These criteria change!
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