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The client doesn't know what they want,
but knows what they feel

Don't ask the client what solution they need. Ask them what hurts, what slows them down, what costs them.

Statement​

The solution is your job. The problem is theirs. Respect that division. When a client says "I need an app", they're actually describing a symptom. Your job is to reach the root of what they feel, not to execute what they ask.

Why it matters​

Clients are experts in their pain, not in your discipline. Asking them to define the solution is like asking a patient to prescribe their own treatment. They have all the information about the symptoms, but they don't need to know the appropriate treatment.

The Problem-Driven AI methodology respects this division of responsibilities: the client provides the emotional and operational truth of the problem; the team provides the capability to translate that into viable solutions.

Practical implications​

  • Replace "What do you need?" with "What hurts?", "What slows you down?", "What costs you?".
  • Record emotions, not just requirements: frustration, urgency, and fear are first-class data.
  • Separate the problem space from the solution space: don't let the client cross that line prematurely.
Anti-pattern: The Requirements Transcriber

What it is. Taking literal notes of what the client asks and converting them directly into technical specifications. The team becomes a requirements transcriber instead of a problem investigator.

How to detect it. Specifications read like a transcript of client meetings. Features are described using the client's vocabulary, not the team's analytical framework. No one has challenged whether the requested features actually solve the underlying problem. The word "why" doesn't appear in any meeting notes.

How to prevent it. Separate the problem space from the solution space in every conversation. When a client says "I need X", respond with "What happens when you don't have X?" Record emotions and frustrations as first-class data, not just feature requests.

Connections​