Talking with Users to Improve Digital Products with Lisa Richner of Extend

Sep 18

Lisa Richner is Vice President of Product at Extend, a fintech company that turns your business credit card into a spend management platform.

In this episode of Let's Talk Limbic Sparks, Lisa reveals how talking with users helps you iterate digital product improvements that really matter. She shares how wonderful it is to be part of a culture rooted in customer obsession and curiosity, as it leads ongoing listening and ongoing improvements, so that the digital product can best serve those who use it.

Lisa talks about the specific research methods she relies on, from interviewing clients to quantitative research, for user experience understanding, feature validation and prototyping. She explains the value of empathy, and listening closely to understand the underlying need that are often deeper than what respondents ask for. She also shared the joy of letting a client know that a feature was created with them in mind.

Key Takeaways and Soundbites:

“What’s always interested me are the brands that shape our lives and the factors that influence our decision-making.”

“With your customers, it's important to know them, but it's how you learn about them and how you design for them. That's really what matters – and bringing that empathy and skill into your research, particularly when you're interviewing.”

“I really enjoy building relationships with some of the customers we interview... and my favorite thing is going back to them with a feature we built with them in mind and hearing them tell you how much it's helped their workflow. I really love that. That's definitely something that really motivates me.”

“You can't take what they are sharing with you at face value... you really need to dig into the why underneath, and have the patience to do that, because nine times out of ten, the best solution is not what they ask you to build… What ends up happening is, we take a feature we have in mind at a loose architect and build it into something that truly meets their needs in way a that they couldn't have articulated.”

“When you're at a company that has a value of customer obsession and curiosity, it means you're always listening and your always iterating. The fact that that's baked into our culture is key to how our customer insights are informing our decisions.”

“We can always be better. We can always be listening. The product is never done. That's the fun of it.”

“Emotions are underlying that customer need, but they are complicated. I think it takes an understanding of knowing that's there, but I think it also takes a lot of courage to act on them and recognize how they can really drive business growth.”

“Really being empathetic. Thinking about the user and their whole self. It's not just about them in the moment with your brand, but everything outside and around it. When you're empathetic, and you can truly understand what they care about that's when you can get to the root of the problems that they want solved and actually solve for them in a better way than you could have otherwise.”

“Something I've learned, when I reflect on my career thus far, is to always be learning.”

Here are some fun facts about Lisa…

Lisa is a strategic product leader with a track record of innovation and a passion for building products that meet people where they are. She leads the strategy and development of digital products at Extend, a fintech company that turns your business credit card into a spend management platform so you can achieve more with what's yours.

Previously, at American Express, Lisa launched new payment products, grew their largest consumer lending product, and advised C-level executives. She formed her design thinking approach to product development while at Interbrand, an Omnicom agency, where she consulted global financial services clients on brand strategy and digital customer experiences. She began her career on the valuation services side of the financial services industry. Lisa holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics from Cornell University.