I don't see listening carefully and asking open ended questions as a step towards simply building what the potential customer wants.

Quite the opposite: seeking to understand their underlying needs, the context they are in, and the factors influencing their thinking helps build empathy.

If we truly understand the needs we are trying to fulfil it is more likely that we will build a good product, it's a superficial understanding that tends to lead to products that are treating symptoms rather than causes and only minor improvements.