persona
Persona is the mythical customer avatar conjured in the depths of market research, assembled from wishful thinking and scattershot data. The more attributes you stuff in, the farther it drifts from reality, until it becomes a caricature of the team's fantasies. In strategy meetings it holds absolute sway, justifying every budget increase with its imaginary complaints. Actual users, meanwhile, scoff at the polished profile and proceed to act however they please. It flourishes in the gap between what businesses think they need and what customers actually want.