Who: A leading SaaS provider
What: Qualitative research to better understand the target users and their jobs to be done
When: At the very beginning of the product development process, so the research has maximum impact
Gathering insights – and internal support
A leading enterprise technology provider spotted a high-growth opportunity: Building a digital workspace tailored for commercial bankers. The vision was bold, the development timeline was aggressive, and success depended not just on customer validation, but on bringing an extended group of internal stakeholders – product, engineering, and sales – along for the ride.
HowSo’s value-add: A collaborative, flexible research design
We structured the research to deliver more than just answers. It was built to help our client gather insights and internal support at the same time. In Phase 1, we conducted a first wave of IDIs (in-depth interviews) with customer-facing bankers and delivered an early readout, fast. That first look gave our client – the research buyer – insights that that energized internal discussions with the product team, which surfaced new questions across teams and helped us focus our efforts for the next phase.
We conducted a second wave of IDIs after the broader team had a chance to react to our initial findings. Having that second bite at the apple gave our client flexibility: A way to infuse stakeholder input during the project, which strengthened their buy-in even before they digested our report that offered specific product development and go-to-market recommendations.
The well-timed pivot
Early conversations revealed that bankers had limited visibility to security-related topics – a planned area of focus that, if pursued, would have yielded little actionable insight. Recognizing this quickly, we pivoted. The remaining interviews shifted toward higher-value areas: How bankers interacted with their customers, the metrics they used to measure success, and the workflow gaps that slowed them down. That pivot allowed us to go deeper where it mattered, delivering sharper, more actionable findings about their product priorities.
What we uncovered
Rather than a checklist of disconnected features, we uncovered a clear picture of what bankers needed most:
Smarter meeting prep, powered by customer insights
Workflow automation to lighten administrative burdens
Tools that helped them succeed – as measured by the KPIs that mattered to them
Just as importantly, we helped the client de-prioritize ideas unlikely to drive adoption, preserving focus on what did matter.
Business impact
The final report didn’t just deliver answers. It gave the client a clearer map of where to move forward with confidence and where to keep digging. Instead of guessing or doubling down on initial assumptions, the client quickly began pursuing additional research to deepen understanding in critical areas, based directly on our recommendations.
By structuring research that stayed flexible, addressed real stakeholder questions, and surfaced new opportunities, we helped them deliver insights that kept product development momentum alive.
Because the research flexed at the right moments and reflected the voice of critical stakeholders, the client was able to move from insights to next steps without missing a beat.
Want research that brings you the insight your need, while bringing your stakeholders on the journey with you?