Sell Me This Pen!

The Scene:  

INT. OFFICE – DAY

A sleek high-rise office with floor-to-ceiling windows. A formal interview is underway for a role in a Software development team. A table sits between the INTERVIEWER and the CANDIDATE

CASTING

1. The INTERVIEWER: Professional, relaxed. Someone who interviews for any role, from a Sales rep to Software Engineer to C-level Executive, inspired by The Wolf of Wall Street, loves asking questions that throw candidates off guard.
2. The CANDIDATE:  Suited up, a bit nervous but composed. A seasoned software professional: Product or Project Manager, Business Analyst, or experienced Software Engineer, ready for whatever the interview throws their way.   

ACTION

INTERVIEWER: 
(smiling confidently)

Please sell me this pen!

CANDIDATE 
(pauses, raises an eyebrow, thinking: “Seriously? For this role?” but decides to roll with it)

Sure... that’s a good question.

(leans forward slightly, zoomed in on the candidate's face, thinking out loud)

Before I sell anything, I need to know…

• Why do you need a pen?
• Are you trying to write something?
• Or is it just a fidget to keep your hands busy?
• Or is it for showing off during meetings?
• Or maybe you just want something pointy to poke your teammates!?
• Or ...?
• Do you even need a pen at all?
• Because if the answer is “not really”, then we’re solving the wrong problem.

• Next: Who's going to use this pen?
• Is it just for you? 
• Or a team of people? Are their preferences wildly different? Can I group them into personas? Coming to using the pen, what are their needs, habits, and goals? What is their motivation or purpose for using a pen in the first place?
• Do you/they know how to use a pen, or will I need to prepare onboarding materials?

• Then comes the “What”
• What kind of pen are we talking about here? Something elegant to show off, or A cheap but reliable option? Do you care about the ink colour? Or whether it’s refillable?
• Just a pen-shaped object to satisfy a checklist?
• What if we replace it with a digital stylus, tablet or an e-signature?

• Timing is everything. When do you need this pen?
• If the one in your hand is good enough, can we make a deal now? 
• But, if we need to source a new one 
• Is it urgent? Are you okay starting with a Minimum Viable Pen (MVP)!? I know it is not easy enough, but how about the ink cartridge to sign your name, and we iterate from there? We can ship the casing next, and the grip after that. And of course, after every delivery, we run a retro: What worked? What didn’t? Should we pivot to pencils?
• If it is not urgent, can I explore better alternatives? Perhaps consider sourcing a white-labelled option or reusing an existing solution that’s already a good fit?

• Finally, let’s talk business
• How much are you willing to pay?
• Do you want to pay the full, outright cost upfront, or prefer a subscription-based model (Pen-as-a-Service) !?
• What if I propose a Freemium model? First signature is free, upgrade to Core, then Premium Plan if you like and need the pen. 
• Or how about a completely free pen, if you agree to source your paper from me for the next year?

INTERVIEWER
(Confused but impressed)

Okay... I don’t have any more questions.
You’re ... probably hired.
Also, sorry, I mixed up my prep questions. That one wasn’t meant for you!

The Point:

(Pun intended)

As software craftsmen, we can’t just jump straight into solutions. We need to slow down, zoom out, and ask the right questions:

• Why are we building this?
• Who is it for?
• What’s the real problem?
• When do they need it?
• How do we deliver just enough, just in time?

If you're trying to "sell the pen" without understanding the problem, you’re not solving any problem; you're guessing in the dark.

So next time someone throws the pen question your way, don’t just sell it. Be Agile: Discover, Build, Validate, and Iterate. Because: 

Great products don’t start with a pitch; They start with curiosity.