Don’t Just Design What People Want

Designing What People Want And Need

I want to share some thoughts about a common trap I see in both construction and software development: designing only for what people say they want.

In construction, if you ask most people what they want, they’ll often default to what they already know. That’s not a criticism, it’s just reality. For example, many will ask for a new CPM scheduling tool because that is what they are familiar with. But sticking with what is familiar often leads us back to the same problems we have always had.

There is a famous quote often attributed to Henry Ford that says if I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse. The point is clear. True innovation comes when we balance what people want with what they actually need.

Why This Balance Matters

If we design only for demand, we risk creating solutions that look shiny but do not solve the real problems. In construction scheduling, for instance, the base must be built on principles like time by location, production control, and alignment of work in progress. That is what actually drives flow and results. From there, yes, we can add features that people want, like CPM exports or interface tweaks. But the foundation has to meet the need, not just the want.

Learning From Scrum and Lean Startup

Both The Lean Startup and Scrum emphasize staying close to the customer, testing, iterating, and refining. But iteration does not mean endlessly polishing the wrong thing. The classic sketch illustrates this perfectly. Instead of building half a car, then three quarters of a car, then almost a car, you build a skateboard, then a scooter, then a bike, and then finally a car. Each step delivers value while moving closer to the right solution.

In our industry, this means working with foremen, field engineers, and superintendents who plan the work at the frontline. It means relying on the people who are closest to the installation of work, rather than distant management layers or bloated software tools. It also means recognizing that our customers may not always know what to ask for until they see it in action.

Doing The Right Thing

I would rather see us create tools and systems that may not be the most popular, but that actually work. Systems built on flow, location based scheduling, and real production control. Systems that give superintendents and foremen actionable direction every day.

That is the path to true improvement in construction. Not just designing faster horses, but creating what will really take us forward.

Key Takeaway
The challenge is not designing only what people ask for. Real progress happens when we balance what they want with what they truly need.