Co-Creation Background: Insights from Real-World Use
Brian is a long-time user who regularly works across a MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) and a Windows laptop, frequently switching between the two via a TESmart dual USB-C KVM.
Over extended use, he noticed a persistent behavior that didn’t align with his expectations:
While plugged in, his MacBook would normally maintain around 80% battery, but when used through the KVM, it consistently stayed at 100%.
This wasn’t a typical “device not working” issue.
It came from a user highly conscious of battery health, questioning whether the product behavior was truly reasonable.
The User Voice: Not a Complaint, But a Professional Inquiry
Brian’s core question was:
“I’m wondering if somehow the MacBook briefly detects a power change (when switching between machines with the KVM) and starts recharging the battery past 80%.”
The essence of this question wasn’t “why is your product broken?”, but rather:
👉 Does the KVM’s power delivery and switching logic unintentionally interfere with macOS’s battery management system?
He further elaborated:
“My question mostly centered on whether or not using the KVM to switch between the two computers could somehow be triggering the Mac to start charging beyond 80% when it would normally not do so.”
And more importantly:
“I thought that if I supplemented power, there would be less stress on the TESmart device.”
This comment extended a personal observation into a broader concern about long-term device stability and power-handling capability.
The Key Moment: Where the Customer Drove Our Growth
Through multiple rounds of communication with Brian, we gradually realized:
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The product itself was functioning as designed
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But user expectations around intelligent power behavior had evolved
Brian wasn’t asking us to “fix a bug.”
Instead, he helped us see that:
When USB-C carries both data and power, users begin to expect more than just “charging works.”
They expect:
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Smarter power negotiation
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Predictable system behavior
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Alignment with OS-level battery management logic
And that’s exactly where meaningful product evolution begins.