Beyond Features: Evaluating Real Solution Fit

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Well hi there, it’s Brandy your host and this is Elevated, the snackable, weekly podcast helping Kitchen & Bath Designers build a better business. In this episode we're talking about how to not get dazzled by jazzy software features that are about as useful as a kitchen island with no overhang.

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Well, hi there.
It's Brandy, your host, and thisis Elevated the Snackable Weekly
podcast, helping kitchen andBath designers build a better
business.
In this episode, we're talkingabout how not to get dazzled by
jazzy software features that areabout as useful as a kitchen
island with no overhang.
You know what I mean?
Looks great in the renderings,but try to actually sit at it.

(00:25):
Doesn't happen.
It can be hard to stay focusedon the right things in a world
of attention grabbing shinyobjects.
Software companies are out thereshowing off their latest AI
features, like they're thegreatest thing since soft closed
drawers.
But here's the thing, justbecause something's shiny.
Doesn't mean it's useful.
Just ask Carmen, who invested inan expensive project management

(00:46):
tool because it had AI poweredproject forecasting, but it
couldn't talk to her accountingsoftware.
Whoops.
Today we're gonna learn how toseparate the must haves from the
nice to haves, and by the end ofthis episode.
You'll have the tools to resistbeing distracted by fancy
features that don't solve realproblems.

(01:06):
Grab [e-mail] slash
choose if you need it, and let'screate your feature evaluation
checklist.
We're going to use Carmen'sstory as our cautionary tale.
First up, the integrationinvestigation.
Before you even look atfeatures, ask yourself, what
software do you already use thatyou can't live without?

(01:26):
What needs to talk to what?
Where are you currently doingmanual data entry?
Because the systems don'tconnect.
Carmen learned this the hardway.
The fancy new software couldn'tconnect with her accounting
system, her drafting software,her document signing tool.
Suddenly those AI featuresdidn't seem so impressive when
her team was copying and pastingdata all day.

(01:48):
Next up is the must havechecklist.
Here's how to figure out whatyou actually need.
First, look at your dailyfrustrations.
You listed those previously.
Remember?
Uh, two, write down what wouldfix each one.
Three.
Those are your must haves.
Let me give you a real example.
Sarah's firm thought they needednew design software because

(02:09):
their current one was slow, butwhen we dug into it, the real
problem takes forever to createproposals, actual must have the
ability to save and reuseproduct specifications.
The not important, the AIpowered room suggester, they
were drooling over.
So then let's look at the niceto have Nebula.
This is where things can gettricky.

(02:29):
Software companies are masters.
I'm making everything soundessential.
Here's how to cut through thenoise for each feature.
Ask, does this solve a problem?
I actually have then will I usethis daily, weekly, monthly?
And then finally, is it worththe added complexity?
Here's what happened withCarmen's team.

(02:51):
They're nice to have listsincluded.
AI project timeline projection,automated task assignment, and
smart resource allocation.
Sounds amazing, right?
But when we matched theseagainst their actual problems,
no one was struggling withtimeline creation.
Uh, task assignment wasn'tbroken, and resource allocation
was handled in team meetings,what they actually needed.

(03:14):
Integration with existing tools.
And easy to file share withcontractors.
Simple change order tracking andbasic timeline templates they
could reuse.
So then let's talk about thereality check exercise.
Try this, write down everyfeature that excited you about a
piece of software.

(03:35):
Then write down every task youdid yesterday.
How many of those excitingfeatures would've helped with
yesterday's actual work?
Carmen did this exercise andrealized the AI powered features
that sounded great and she wasexcited about wouldn't have
helped with a single task fromthe previous week.
So here's your homework.
First off, list yournon-negotiable integrations,

(03:58):
then write down your actualdaily tasks.
Third, map out what featureswould make those tests easier.
Fourth, separate everything elseinto the nice to have or don't
need pile.
Pro tip, if you're not sure ifsomething's a must have, try
this test.
Would you pay extra for justthat feature?

(04:19):
If the answer is, um, maybe it'sa nice to have.
Let's talk about the happyending here.
Remember Carmen, she ended upchoosing a simpler system that
integrated with everything, hadtemplates for common tasks.
Could handle change orderseasily and bonus, it was half
the price of the AI poweredoption, and our team actually

(04:40):
uses it next time we're walkingthrough integrations because the
best software in the world isuseless.
If it doesn't play nice withyour other tools ready to sort
your must-haves from your niceto haves, head to fiery
effects.com/choose.
Grab that worksheet and let'sstart making features work for
you, not against you.