“Secret” of Product Success

This shouldn't be a secret. What fuels the success of a product?

The number 1 thing is that customers need it badly.

I know, I know, this seems like a truism. No special insight here. However, if this really is common knowledge, why are there so many products or features out there that people don't want or need?

The tools I incorporate to make sure that a digital product will be needed are:

• "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick. The short how-to manual on how to ask your customers questions, so you get the feedback you need. Your mom (or any friend or family member) cares about you, so they'll tell you what they think you want to hear. You need the truth though.

• Jobs to be Done (JTBD). Find the struggling moments of your customers and users, and meet them there. When someone is having a hard time with their current way of working, that's when they start looking for an alternative. This principle can be used to figure out how and if a product feature should be built.

• "Value Proposition Design" by Alexander Osterwalder (VPD). After you've figure out what to build, use VPD to maximize the value you give to your customers or users. What pains are you providing a painkiller for? What gains are you giving your customers?

While these are great tools, they don't do anything for you by themselves. It's all in how you use them.

As you're building your product, or if you're planning some new features, continually use these tools. You can never have enough customer interviews. Knowing and refining the jobs your product is doing should be constant throughout. And always keeping your value propositions clear and upfront will help both the building and the sales of your product.