In successful product cultures, objectives change: no longer shipping on time and on budget, but solving customer problems in ways that meet the needs of your business. This change in approach puts a spotlight on the customer. How do you find out about customer needs? Get out of the building and talk to them.
Surveys are great for market sizing but really understanding customers means spending time with them learning what they do, what success means to them, and where they are frustrated in their journey. Don’t talk to them about your product, though. Talk to them about their business, their job, their personal ambitions, and why they hate their boss.
Don’t ask them what they want in your product. Ask them what they want in themselves.
Then go back to your team and start thinking about how you can make that customer the most awesome version of themselves you can imagine.
I go in deep on Product interviewing in Chapter 3 of my book Product Roadmaps Relaunched. How do you get insights from your customers? Any tips? Discuss.
Jobs
My friend Bryan Dunn, VP of Product at Crayon, is looking for "an exceptionally talented product manager to guide the vision, roadmap, and development of our marketing intelligence platform.” Interested? Ping me.
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