The Surprising Reason Steve Jobs Ignored User Research — And Why I’m on His Side

In today’s world, it feels like everyone is buzzing about user research, data-driven design, and endless analytics. But somewhere along the way, we’ve lost sight of the magic that a well-crafted first-run experience can bring. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not against user research; I just believe in using it where it truly matters. It’s all about balance. These are just my thoughts, so please don’t come after me for saying it! 😊

When Steve Jobs famously dismissed the importance of user research, many were quick to label him as arrogant, out of touch, or simply too confident in his own intuition. But as someone who has spent years navigating the delicate balance between user insights and product design, I find myself nodding along with his sentiment — maybe even agreeing with him more than I thought I would.

Don’t get me wrong — user research has its place. It can uncover pain points, highlight areas for improvement, and even inspire new features. But let’s be honest: how often have you been handed a stack of user feedback that’s contradictory, confusing, or just plain unhelpful? Users are often poor predictors of their own behavior, and their confidence in knowing what they want can be misleading.

It’s not that users are clueless; it’s just that they don’t always have the vocabulary to articulate what they need or the foresight to understand how they’ll interact with a product in the real world. They might tell you they want a feature because it sounds cool in theory, but when they actually use it, they might ignore it entirely. Or worse, it might clutter their experience and detract from the product’s core value.

Steve Jobs understood this. He knew that if you asked people what they wanted, you’d end up with a mishmash of ideas that would dilute the essence of what makes a product great. Instead of relying on user predictions, he focused on crafting a product experience that would delight users from the moment they opened the box — what he referred to as the “first-run experience.”

Why the First-Run Experience Matters More Than Endless User Research

The first-run experience is about more than just a slick unboxing or a pretty interface. It’s about creating an emotional connection with the user from the very first interaction. It’s that magical moment when a product feels like it was made just for you, when everything works seamlessly, and when you instantly understand its value without needing a manual or a tutorial.

When you nail the first-run experience, you’re doing more than just meeting user expectations — you’re exceeding them. You’re giving users something they didn’t even know they wanted, but now can’t imagine living without. And that’s something user research, with all its surveys and focus groups, often fails to capture.

The Role of Intuition in Product Design

This is where intuition, rather than user research, becomes a powerful tool. Great product managers and designers aren’t just order-takers; they’re visionaries. They see possibilities that users can’t yet imagine and make bold decisions that push the boundaries of what a product can be.

Jobs was a master of this. He didn’t wait for users to tell him they needed an iPhone — he anticipated it. And when users finally got their hands on one, it was that first-run experience that left them in awe, not because it ticked off everything on their wishlist, but because it delivered something they didn’t even know was possible.

Balancing Research with Vision

Now, this doesn’t mean we should toss user research out the window. There’s a balance to be struck. User research can inform decisions and help avoid obvious pitfalls, but it shouldn’t dictate every step of the product development process. Instead, use it as a guide, not a rulebook.

At the end of the day, users may not always know what they want, but they do know when something feels right. And that’s where the power of the first-run experience shines. It’s about trusting your intuition as a product manager, believing in your vision, and knowing that sometimes, the best way to give users what they want is to show them what they never knew they needed.

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