From Pain Points to Product Success with Problem-Led Insight

Product teams often say they are customer-centric, yet still default to feature-led VOC. Watts (a US-based global water technology company) and market research partner Phase 5 took a different path. By redesigning their learning approach and using structured, bias-resistant interviews, the team uncovered two critical but under-articulated field problems in a mature, “unglamorous” product category―problems that engineers, contractors, and facility managers had been quietly working around for years.

These insights did more than validate assumptions; they fundamentally reshaped product development and provided a clear, defensible direction for a new solution now heading to market.

In this session, we’ll walk through how reframing the inquiry, surfacing “hidden in plain sight” product issues, and resisting internal bias led to a market-ready concept with strong organizational confidence behind it.

Key Takeaways

1. Why problem-led, jobs-focused VOC outperforms traditional feature-first approaches―especially in mature categories
2. How structured, bias-resistant interviews uncover consequential failures customers rarely volunteer
3. Practical techniques to bypass internal assumptions and listen differently across diverse user groups
4. How to translate maintenance and reliability headaches into a focused, strategic product specification rather than a grab-bag of features
5. How problem-led insights can provide a clear roadmap from discovery to a differentiated, market-ready solution

Meet the Speakers

Senior Product Manager at Watts, Shashwat Nath

Shashwat Nath is a Senior Product Manager at Watts Water Technologies, where he oversees the Mixing, Hydronics, Relief Valve, and HVAC product categories. Over his 18-year career spanning the HVAC, IOT, Refrigeration, Lighting, and Plumbing industries, Shashwat has blended technical expertise with a strategic, customer-focused approach to product development and innovation. Based in the Boston area, he is passionate about sustainability and water conservation and is dedicated to developing solutions that help advance efficiency and environmental responsibility in the built environment. When he’s not working, Shashwat enjoys reading and biking on New England’s scenic trails.

President at Phase 5 US, Steve Hansen

Steve Hansen is a Partner at Phase 5. Based in Minneapolis, MN, he leads the firm's Innovation and New Product Development practice. Steve enjoys taking a “Zen mind, beginner’s mind” approach to innovation, especially when it has the potential to disrupt a market ecosystem. His professional background includes: Lecturer in Innovation in the Peking University Guanghua MBA program, Director of Research at Thomson Reuters, and technology product management roles. Steve is regularly invited to speak at industry events on customer centricity. He holds an MBA from University of Minnesota, MA English Language / Linguistics from University of Arizona, and a BA Mathematics from Pomona College.

PDMA thanks our webcast sponsor, Phase 5 US.

www.phase-5.com