Targets: Who Your Product Must Convince
Artificial Intelligence, automation, and digital transformation may change how products are built — but success is never about the tech alone. Success depends on whether the right people say “yes”.
These are your Targets.
In the PathPatron Compass, Targets are the human roles you must win over for any initiative to succeed:
- Users → Must adopt your product in daily life or work.
- Buyers → Must put money (or budget) behind it.
- Deciders → Must prioritize it against competing bets.
- Influencers → Must advocate for it when others hesitate.
💡 PM takeaway: Targets don’t just consume products — they define whether products ever launch, scale, or survive.
🔑 Why Targets Matter in the AI Era
AI and automation shift expectations across every role:
- Users expect personalization, transparency, and real relief from pain points — not just “cool AI features.”
- Buyers demand ROI proof, not marketing promises — whether external customers or internal budget approvers.
- Deciders weigh projects against strategic alignment, resilience, and future-proofing.
- Influencers shape narratives across functions and can stall or accelerate momentum.
👉 In other words: Targets are the pressure points of your product journey. If you fail to win them, no amount of tools, tech, or tricks will carry you forward.
💡 PM takeaway: Target management isn’t a phase of product work — it’s the backbone.
🌍 Case Examples of Target Impact
1. Users: Duolingo Max (2023)
Duolingo rolled out GPT-4 based conversation practice. Users loved the interactivity, but adoption stuck only because human-like reinforcement balanced the AI. Duolingo Blog, 2023
💡 PM takeaway: Even in AI-driven experiences, Users want authentic value, not just automation.
2. Buyers: Klarna AI Assistant (2024)
Klarna’s AI-powered assistant saved millions in support costs within a month. Internal Buyers (Ops, Finance) funded it because ROI was immediate and measurable. Klarna Press Release, 2024
💡 PM takeaway: Internal Buyers fund hard numbers, not “innovation” slides.
3. Deciders: IKEA AI Forecasting (2024)
IKEA greenlit AI-powered demand sensing because it tied directly to user delight (fewer stockouts) and revenue conversions. Retail TouchPoints, 2024
💡 PM takeaway: Deciders care about future-proof value tied to strategy — not novelty.
4. Influencers: Healthcare AI Rollouts (2024)
In hospitals piloting diagnostic AI, clinicians (Influencers) shaped adoption by raising trust concerns. Even when Buyers approved budgets, rollouts stalled without their support. Nature Medicine, 2024
💡 PM takeaway: Influencers can amplify trust — or kill momentum.
🧩 Scenario: When Targets Clash
You pitch an AI-powered onboarding assistant.
- Users love smoother flows.
- Buyers ask if it saves headcount.
- Deciders want to know how it ladders into a 5-year strategy.
- Influencers flag compliance risks.
👉 Pain-ful state: You treat all four the same. Everyone hears the same pitch. Resistance builds. Momentum stalls.
👉 Pain-free state: You tailor to each Target:
- To Users → “Faster onboarding, fewer drop-offs.”
- To Buyers → “20% churn reduction = $XM saved annually.”
- To Deciders → “Future-proofing customer experience vs. competitors.”
- To Influencers → “Risk simulations show GDPR is covered.”
💡 PM takeaway: Winning Targets means speaking in their language of value.
🔗 How Targets Tie to Transformers
Targets decide what should be done. Transformers decide how it gets done.
- Users → Testers and Creators validate adoption.
- Buyers → Owners and Organizers ensure promises are credible.
- Deciders → Maintainers and Implementers safeguard risk and feasibility.
- Influencers → Often are Transformers, amplifying execution concerns (or successes) to leadership.
👉 PM takeaway: Don’t silo Targets and Transformers. Their trust is interconnected — fail one, and you often fail both.
👩💼 How PMs Can Leverage Tech to Manage Targets
AI-Driven Persona Simulation
- How to use it: Prompt AI to role-play as different Target types. Stress-test your pitch before going live.
- PM watch-out: Don’t treat simulations as gospel — validate with real stakeholders.
Automated Feedback Analysis
- How to use it: Cluster survey, NPS, or app review data to map what each Target group actually values.
- PM watch-out: Avoid generalizing one group’s needs across all Targets.
Scenario Mapping Tools
- How to use it: Use visualization platforms to show different Target perspectives side by side (Users vs. Buyers vs. Deciders).
- PM watch-out: Keep it concise — Deciders won’t read long maps.
💡 PM takeaway: Tech doesn’t replace Target empathy — it accelerates insight.
🚀 Next Steps
- 📥 Download the Target Mapping Canvas (free) → identify pain points, value currencies, and trust factors for Users, Buyers, Deciders, Influencers.
- 🎯 Try the Micro Learning: Translating Target Needs into Product Pitches (gated) → practice reframing one initiative for all four Target types.
- 💼 Upgrade to the Target Strategy Playbook (premium) → structured templates for multi-stakeholder alignment.
Because in AI-driven products, Targets don’t just influence adoption — they define survival.