We’ve been digging into our product analytics for the past month, optimizing how we track user behavior.
Turns out our power users weren’t who we thought they were. The data showed completely different usage patterns than what our surveys suggested.
Anyone else had their assumptions completely flipped by better data?
Surveys often miss the mark. They capture what users wish they did rather than what they actually do. I’ve seen this happen time and again, where users think they want complex features but engage more with simple ones.
The key is to track user behavior linked to revenue, not just engagement. Look at those who convert and what patterns drive their actions. This helps you build features that truly matter.
That happens a lot. Users often say they prefer one thing but act differently in reality.
Data always wins over opinions and guesses. I learned this when tracking which features actually drove conversions versus what users said they wanted in feedback.
Now I just set up proper tracking first and let the numbers guide decisions. Saves time and prevents building stuff nobody actually uses.
Yeah surveys are basically useless for product decisions.
Had this exact thing happen with a meditation app I worked on. Our surveys kept saying people wanted longer sessions, but the data showed 3-minute sessions had way better retention than 10-minute ones.
We were building features for what users thought they wanted, not what actually kept them coming back. Shifted our whole product roadmap after that.
The gap between stated preference and actual behavior is huge in mobile apps. What specific patterns surprised you most?