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Checking Customer Expectations for AI Features
Ask customers what result they now expect, how they get it today, and which delay or error they will tolerate. Test the answer before rebuilding a product around a trend.
By Jake Bauman · Revised
Jake Bauman's interview prompts. The proposed expectation shifts are hypotheses until validated with customers.
Interview around work, not hype
Ask for a recent task and what made it difficult. Observe the actual workaround. Avoid asking whether someone wants an AI feature in the abstract.
Test a changed expectation
- What time-to-result feels acceptable now?
- What customization do they need?
- When do they expect a person to review the result?
- What would make the output trustworthy?
Decide with evidence
Compare the proposed experience with the current workaround. Segment results by customer type; a large-enterprise survey cannot stand in for your own buyer research.
The smallest falsifiable test
Suppose interviews suggest customers expect a draft within minutes. Offer a manual or supervised version to a few customers and ask whether the faster response changes their decision or merely feels convenient. Record the wait they currently tolerate, the quality they require, and any tradeoff they reject. If speed alone does not matter, test a different expectation.
Sources and context
These sources inform the framework. They do not validate the suggested actions for every business.
- Deloitte, 2026 State of AI in the Enterprise: Survey-based enterprise adoption findings, not evidence that a particular strategy will work.
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