The Human Experience of Building Digital Products

In a world where technology drives our daily lives, the most impactful products aren't just functional—they solve core human problems in health, wealth, and happiness. As a product manager, the challenge isn’t just building technology; it’s about designing solutions that resonate with the core of human experience.

Although considered a technical discipline, there are a lot of very human components to it. Product managers come from various backgrounds, some are design, communications, business, and of course engineering. It’s a very personal job, where you learn your user’s pain points and needs intimately, through 1:1 conversations, market research, and data on how they use your product. The word that’s used often in product management is “empathy”. To understand someone so much you want to create something that will make their lives better.

The opportunities as a product manager then becomes, which problems do you want to solve for?

The past few decades saw an exponential rise in technological innovation. However, the human brain did not evolve as quickly as our technology. The innate needs from our hunter and gatherer days are still very relevant to our sense of safety and wellbeing today. The need for physical interactions, a sense of community, and pursuit of purpose remain core to our health and happiness.

The pandemic shifted our priorities globally. Worn out by the pace hyper-connectivity and production, post-pandemic sees a trend of intentional slowdown. VML Intelligence 2024 The Future 100 Report cited:

Stress, depression, and pollution are seen as the top 3 challenges for human health

70% prefer to spend money on experiences rather than things

67% say community is more important than individual

91% want to feel more emotion in their lives

These trends highlight a core need that’s not being met through technology, real human connections.

Lululemon 2024 Global Wellbeing Report cited:

Only 53% of people currently feel connected to their community

Those who feel connected to their community feel 16% higher overall wellbeing

Those who are connected to their community are 28% more likely to feel a sense of purpose

For business leaders and product managers, these trends offer a unique opportunity to innovate. By focusing on building technology that fosters real human connection, we can address rising demand for community, wellbeing, and purpose in ways that make both personal and business impact.

I recently spoke with Bray Wilcock from Bloomy about what they’re building and the problems they’re solving for. Social wellness.

Platforms like Bloomy recognize this shift and aim to address the growing demand for authentic human connections in an increasingly digital world.

Lululemon 2024 Global Wellbeing Report shows wellbeing is increased by:

21% when people feel a sense of belong when working out with others

18% when people spend time in nature/outdoors with others

15% when people take group fitness class

Bloomy works as B2B2C that connects wellness providers and studios to interested people at different metropolitan cities around the US. Small business owners and practitioners can get marketing help and get their eyes in front of people who need their services, and the participants get a platform that can help them discover fitness, wellness, and other healing modalities.

Not only a digital platform, the company practices what they preach by hosting in person wellness events, their latest Wellness Crawl in Santa Monica brought out a host of community healers and wellness-minded folks who are just there to take care of themselves and feel like they’re part of a community.

This past year, I’ve been exploring what it means for me to make an impact as a product manager and business owner. As I continue to explore the intersection of wellness and technology, I find myself grappling with important questions that guide my work:

How can technology make life better without replacing our physical need to connect?

How can wellness be democratized? Not only for the privileged, but for everyone?

How do we bridge the gap between online and offline in a way that fosters our need to belong?

How can we create a sustainable, human-centric business that makes the world a better place?

As technologists, our goal should always be to solve human problems with thoughtful, purpose-driven technology. Let’s continue to bridge the gap between the digital and human experience—and create products that truly make life better. What problems are you solving in your work?