In the course of implementing sustainability features for a maritime operational software serving 38,000+ users, my focus was on understanding user needs to deliver the most valuable MVP feature set. This journey led me to engaging with chartering departments of maritime shipping companies in London and Singapore. Surprisingly, my interactions often involved technical operations teams and vessel operators rather than charterers, the primary users of the features crucial for business decisions.

In an unexpected turn, when I questioned charterers about their views on upcoming environmental regulations and their impact on their roles, laughter was their initial response. Their primary concern wasn't reducing CO2 emissions but rather understanding the latest possible date to operate under existing practices before incurring financial penalties and the severity of these fines. Faced with the possibility of extending regulatory compliance, they planned to delegate the task of filing requests until it was no longer feasible, provided the fines didn't outweigh their profits.

This moment could have been disheartening for someone passionate about sustainability and positive industry impact. However, rather than giving up, I chose to delve deeper into understanding charterers as user personas. Let's explore "Josh, the Maritime Industry Charterer":

Recognizing the competitive nature of charterers, I introduced vanity metric features, simple fields calculating CO2 emissions for estimated voyages, comparing them to colleagues and industry averages. While the impact was not tangible, it ignited a sense of competition among charterers. This seemingly superficial feature evolved into a sought-after tool, demonstrating the potential of software features to influence user behavior and the profound impact of human psychology in my role as a product manager. This experience remains a source of pride in my career journey.