Why don’t we talk to customers enough?
It could be for one of many reasons.
But the root cause is worry.
Short thread on these worries
(and what to do about them)
👇🏾
It could be for one of many reasons.
But the root cause is worry.
Short thread on these worries
(and what to do about them)
👇🏾
We already have a product idea we love.
We worry it will get invalidated.
We worry it will get invalidated.
We already have a concrete project plan.
We worry it will get disrupted.
We worry it will get disrupted.
We already have a large to-do list.
We worry about adding to it.
We worry about adding to it.
We don’t fully understand our own product.
We worry that this will get exposed.
We worry that this will get exposed.
We know customers have hard problems.
We worry we won’t know how to solve.
We worry we won’t know how to solve.
We know customers have complaints.
We worry that reflects badly on us.
We worry that reflects badly on us.
Now, what can you do with this info?
First, recognize you are not alone.
This is most of us.
Don't beat yourself up.
First, recognize you are not alone.
This is most of us.
Don't beat yourself up.
Second, understand why we worry
Remember the 3 levels of product work?
1) Execution level
2) Impact level
3) Optics level
We worry because we are implicitly focused (or even fixated) on Level 1 or Level 3
Notice how each of the worries above is about Execution or Optics?
Remember the 3 levels of product work?
1) Execution level
2) Impact level
3) Optics level
We worry because we are implicitly focused (or even fixated) on Level 1 or Level 3
Notice how each of the worries above is about Execution or Optics?
Observation:
Founders rarely worry about talking to customers.
Why?
Because most founders are focused first on Impact.
Founders rarely worry about talking to customers.
Why?
Because most founders are focused first on Impact.
Likewise, make yourself & your team more impact-focused, if it isn't already
Reframe what winning means:
Winning is not about who is right
It is about discovering & building what is right
If your current position makes that impossible, learn what you can, then find another team
Reframe what winning means:
Winning is not about who is right
It is about discovering & building what is right
If your current position makes that impossible, learn what you can, then find another team
Lastly, for any lingering worry, know this:
Action is the best antidote to worry.
So go talk to customers.
OK to start small.
This falls in the ”easily said, hard to do, and hardly done” category. So not everyone can or will do this.
But those who do, will see worry wane.
👍🏾
Action is the best antidote to worry.
So go talk to customers.
OK to start small.
This falls in the ”easily said, hard to do, and hardly done” category. So not everyone can or will do this.
But those who do, will see worry wane.
👍🏾
Back to the top of this thread:
https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1371162581226811395
A thread on the 3 levels of product work, referenced above.
I believe this is one of the fundamental frameworks of product management, from which you can derive solutions & tactics for myriad situations you will face.
I believe this is one of the fundamental frameworks of product management, from which you can derive solutions & tactics for myriad situations you will face.
https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1370248637842812936
This summary thread of @robfitz’s book by @louispereira is superb. Just ordered the book.
https://twitter.com/louispereira/status/1363566976237502468
Of course, *just* talking to customers isn't enough. A lot more is required to extract the right signal from the conversations. A story of how it often goes wrong in B2B contexts:
https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1263890579701657601
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