In the age of AI, automation, and real-time analytics, data has become the cornerstone of product decisions. We track every click, measure every second of screen time, and optimize every conversion funnel. But in this pursuit of precision, there’s a growing risk: we’re forgetting the people behind the numbers.
A spike in bounce rate doesn’t just signify a poor landing page; rather could reflect frustration, confusion, or even a deeper disconnect between what a user needs and what we’ve built. Similarly, a high Net Promoter Score may mask the silent churn of a segment that doesn’t feel heard or understood. When we reduce human behaviour to just metrics, we strip away the nuance that defines great product design: empathy.
Empathy isn’t the enemy of efficiency, but what gives data meaning. Numbers show what is happening. Empathy tells us why.
When we build products solely driven by KPIs, without understanding the human behaviour behind those numbers, we risk optimising for surface-level success. We build faster checkouts but forget the anxiety of first-time users. We improve engagement but miss the emotional fatigue caused by too many notifications. True product success lies in the intersection of behavioural data and human insight.
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One such insight we uncovered was the fear of applying for a job—a major reason for drop-offs in our funnel. If we had gone purely by metrics, we might’ve just cut down the number of steps. But this insight led us to do the opposite: we added a screen with reassurance and confidence-building messaging. That small intervention nudged users to take action. And the truth is, we’d never have known that without qualitative user insights.
The solution is not to abandon data, but to humanise it. This means treating every metric as a mirror of a real experience. It requires speaking to users, not just surveying them. It involves shadowing real journeys, not just mapping funnels. It demands that product teams sit with customer support, feel the friction points, and hear the unsaid.
Today’s best product leaders are not just data-literate but are empathy-driven. They champion hybrid models where qualitative feedback is as valued as quantitative output. They fight for friction that protects dignity, not just for seamlessness that drives speed.
Because the future of products isn’t just fast, scalable, and data-smart but also deeply human. And until we embed empathy into the heart of every dashboard, every decision, and every iteration, we’re not building for users; we’re simply building at them.
The article has been written by Soumil Rao, Co-Founder, Head of Product and CX, WorkIndia
