Pressure-test what you're about to build by going after the underlying need, not the feature as specified.
Why it works: Separating the stated request from the real problem keeps the work pointed at an actual user instead of the first feature that came to mind.
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Pressure-test the following idea before I build it. Treat my description as a guess about a need, and go after the need.
What I want to build: [the feature or thing]
Who it’s for: [the user, as specifically as you can name them]
Why now: [what prompted this]
Please:
Ask who specifically it’s for and how they solve this today
Separate my stated request from the underlying problem (“you asked for X; what are they doing once they have it?”)
Push on how we’d know it worked: what changes for the user if it ships
Name the cheapest thing that would test the assumption before the full build
Bias toward the smallest thing that answers the question. Tell me plainly if this is building for an imagined user rather than an observed one.