Software teams often charge into development with a clear vision, only to discover—too late—that the end product misses the mark for the people who actually use it.

In most software development projects—feedback is sought primarily from demos, stakeholders, or QA testers, rather than the real end users who rely on the software daily. While all of these perspectives have some value, not all feedback is created equal.

The Perils of “Observation Feedback”

Many enterprise teams rely on what you might call “observation feedback”—comments gathered from product demonstrations or prototypes shown to managers, executives, or other stakeholders who don’t actually use the software. This style of feedback:

• Is often based on a carefully choreographed demo that highlights a product’s best features while glossing over potential pitfalls.
• Can lead to overly positive or safe responses, since the audience is invested in the project’s success but may not see everyday workflow challenges.
• Lacks real-world context, making it easy to miss hidden usability issues or feature gaps that only emerge under genuine usage conditions.

While it may be valuable for gauging stakeholder alignment, observation feedback doesn’t reveal how well the product meets real users’ needs.

Why Stakeholder-Only Feedback Can Be Misleading

Stakeholders—such as senior management or non-technical clients—often have a vested interest in the project but aren’t necessarily the people clicking buttons day in and day out.

When teams rely primarily on stakeholder feedback:

• They risk building solutions that address high-level concerns rather than day-to-day user pain points.
• They may overvalue “nice-to-have” features suggested by leadership while neglecting core functionality that actual users need.
• They often get approval for the wrong product, leading to costly rewrites or user dissatisfaction once the software is released.

Segue: The Role of QA Feedback

Quality Assurance (QA) teams are crucial to ensuring software meets certain performance, reliability, and security standards. However:

• QA feedback should be seen as “quality feedback,” not user feedback.
• QA testers typically follow test plans focused on uncovering bugs or violations of specifications.
• They do not always replicate the real-world flow of end users with varying tasks and objectives.

While QA feedback is indispensable, it doesn’t replace the experiential insight that only end users can provide.

Authentic User Feedback: Why It Matters

Genuine user feedback comes from individuals who will actually use the software as part of their daily workflow. This feedback:

• Uncovers the true pain points and frustrations users encounter.
• Guides meaningful refinements to functionality, design, and user experience.
• Reduces the risk of costly post-release changes by surfacing issues early.

By incorporating user feedback throughout the development lifecycle—rather than waiting until late-stage demos—teams can build a product that truly meets end-user needs from the get-go.

Strategies for Getting the Right Feedback at the Right Time

Building software that truly resonates with its users begins with forging a genuine connection between your development team and the people who will use your product every day.

Here are a few practical ways to make that happen:

Start Small and Test Early

Focus on delivering one truly valuable feature at a time, and get it into the hands of actual users as soon as you can. Observe how they interact with it in their daily workflow, then gather feedback to guide small, incremental improvements. It’s far more effective to release a modest set of well-tested features and refine them in production than to wait until you’ve built everything—only to learn too late that certain parts don’t align with real-world needs.

Get Users to Actually Use the Software

Ultimately, the most authentic feedback flows from real-world usage. If your intended audience isn’t using the software—no matter how well-polished it appears—it’s a sign that something critical is missing. Perhaps it lacks essential features, the onboarding is too cumbersome, or it simply doesn’t solve the problems users face. Whatever the reason, low adoption should sound the alarm that it’s time to investigate and refine your approach.

If They’re Not Users, Take It with a Grain of Salt

Feedback can come from a variety of sources—stakeholders, managers, or even QA teams—but if they aren’t the ones using the software day in and day out, their insights only go so far. While their opinions can spark valuable discussions, they won’t always highlight the real-world problems your users face. Treat this feedback as one piece of the puzzle, not the entire picture.

Observe Real Behavior

Don’t rely solely on bug reports or formal testing sessions. Sit side by side with actual users to watch them interact with your software in their natural environment. Notice where they hesitate, how they navigate between features, and which workarounds they invent. These unfiltered observations often uncover pain points that scripted tests or feedback forms can overlook.

Embrace Continuous Iteration

Once you’ve gathered user insights, resist the urge to hold off on improvements until a “big release.” Instead, act on what you learn right away by rolling out small, incremental updates. This cycle of continuous iteration—release, observe, refine—keeps the product evolving in step with your users’ needs, rather than lagging behind or relying on outdated assumptions.

Even the most carefully planned software can fall flat if it doesn’t address real user needs. By gathering authentic user insights early and often—rather than relying solely on demos, stakeholders, or QA teams—you significantly reduce the risk of building features nobody wants or needs.

Think of each release as a stepping stone rather than a final destination. Through continuous iteration, data-driven metrics, and honest conversations with the people who matter most, your team can craft a product that truly delivers genuine value to its users.