As product managers, our role mustn’t be to focus on the problems people have—that’s the role of a psychologist. Rather, our primary concern should be understanding customer forces and addressing the specific challenges within our design space—challenges we can refer to as “misfits.”

On the one hand, we must actively identify opportunities presented by customer forces, particularly the pushes, pulls, anxieties, and habits tied to unmet or unrealized needs, and motivations. Additionally, we must remain mindful of external forces beyond the customer perspective, specifically those related to broader business strategy.

On the other hand, we should focus on recognizing problems where form and context intersect—those critical points in the design space where misalignment, or “misfits,” occur. These misfits represent gaps or friction points that arise when a design does not adequately fit its intended context. Addressing these misfits is how we create meaningful and impactful products.

Opportunities and misfits, not problems.