“We did 200 user interviews before we built a thing.”
Mike, startup founder
Mike* is the founder of an awesome new SaaS company. The product he showed me was far better than most.
But what really excited me was the way he built it.
“Make Something People Want”
Y Combinator’s slogan is “make something people want.” Adopt that slogan as your own, whether or not you’re in YC.
These days, we can build just about any piece of software you can imagine. But how do we know anyone wants it?
Some first-time founders spend months or even years building the perfect tool. Then they show it to potential customers — who have 0 interest.
Mike had built a few startups before. This time, he decided to take a different route.
Meeting the Customer
Mike wanted to build a new project management system for construction. The solutions out there were terrible, and he was sure he could do better.
But before he started coding, he talked to over 200 construction managers. What problems did they face? What did the existing products get wrong?
Once he knew what they needed, Mike started building.
Hello, Pipeline!
When we spoke, Mike was about to launch his new product. Most startups have to cold message a ton of prospects and hope somebody responds.
Not Mike.
Mike already knew over 200 potential users. And he had something incredible to offer them: a new platform that addresses the problems they themselves said they had.
Not every one of those 200 people will convert. But I’m pretty sure some will.
Shortly after launch, I expect Mike to sign some juicy contracts. Meanwhile, other startups will still be trying to get Customer #1.
If It’s Good Enough for Amazon…
Working backwards from customer needs isn’t just for startups. Amazon develops new products the exact same way.
First, Amazon teams identify a potential customer and find out what she needs. Then, they build a product to address those needs.
Two of Amazon’s top people, Colin Byar and Bill Carr, explained Amazon’s process in the excellent book Working Backwards.
“The Working Backwards process is all about starting from the customer perspective and following a step by step process where you question your assumptions relentlessly until you have a complete understanding of what you want to build.”
If it works for Amazon, it can work for you!
Wrap-Up
So many founders pour their heart and soul into building a product, only to have it flop. Don’t let this be you.
Instead, meet your potential customers. Find out what they need. Then build it.
I can’t guarantee success. But I can guarantee you’ll have a lot better shot.
Hope you guys had a great weekend. Glad to be back! 🙂
How do you build new products? Leave a comment and let us know!
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*Mike is a composite, not an actual person, in order to protect privacy.
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