Being a Product-led, Customer-first Startup

The year is 2023 and we live in a time of rapid AI innovation. ChatGPT is all the headlines and top social media content topics. Other AI-generated tools are emerging faster than people selling for MLMs were between 2016 and 2017.?

Being a startup founder in 2023 is exciting. It’s never been easier to have the right tools to create, advertise, and sell your product or service.?

However, with all the flashy tools and AI initiatives around every corner, many startup founders can easily forget the two main things that will make them successful:?

The problem their product solves and the people that will use the product to solve the problem.?

So in this exciting time of growth and innovation, how can we as founders take a step back and make sure we are truly scaling? How can we ensure our customers are at the forefront of everything we do? Answering these questions is what will truly set you apart from your competition in 2023. Not whether or not you have the latest AI-powered lead generator or chatbot on your website.?

Sound like a controversial statement? Let me explain myself.?

Let’s define what it means to be Product-led and Customer-First.?

Being a Product-Led Startup

Dave Ramsey preaches that your greatest wealth-building tool is your income. Many people overcomplicate personal finance just like many founders overcomplicate what it takes to be successful and make money.

As a founder, your greatest tool to build success and make money is the product or service you sell.

Yes, your customers are extremely important and without them, you wouldn’t make any money. We’ll get into that in a minute. But it’s important to remember that without some sort of an MVP, it will be all the more difficult to sell your product when you get it in front of potential customers.?

Your goal should be to get your product to a point where it sells itself.?

Having that vision in mind will help you truly become Product-led.?

Here are a few things to ask yourself as you’re creating your MVP and setting goals to scale it:

• Does the problem this product solves unpredictably happen and consistently catch people off guard??
• When people face the problem your MVP solves, where do they go for a solution??
• How long will it take from signing on with your product or service to the time they are fully using it themselves with little to no issues??
• What is your 60-second elevator pitch if you were in front of 100 people who would be the perfect fit for your product??

These are just a few examples of questions you can ask yourself that go beyond simply asking what the issues you solve are, what marketing channel will you use, how the product is used, etc. A simple MVP and a vision for scaling, not only your product but our customers as well will set you up for long-term success and truly make you Product-led.

Being a Customer-First Startup

We’ve all heard the quote “The customer is always right!” so much that you may have expected to read that when you clicked on this blog post, right??

I want you to take that over-used quote and throw it aside since we’re living in a whole new era now. Yes, we’re living in the era of the customer but that doesn’t mean we need to0 bend to their every whim and will.?

What that means is that we, meaning you and me, are in the business of making our customers successful. Not happy. Successful.?

How can we be a customer-first startup with that mindset? Glad you asked.

To put it as simply as possible, you are to make sure that your customer is at the forefront of everything that you do. This means that your product is tailored to meet the ever-growing and evolving needs of your customer. It also means that your employees know exactly what their role is in the customer lifecycle.?

Customer lifecycle? Yes, customer lifecycle. This is a map of every part of the customer's journey with your product starting with the first time they hear about your product to the time their contract is up for renewal. So, yes, every employee is involved in this. Marketing, Sales, Product, Customer Success/Support, Finance, and especially the C-suite.?

Have a clear vision for what your customer lifecycle will do a few key things for your startup:

• Get all of your employees on the same page which will facilitate a culture of open collaboration and prevent internal silos from forming?
• Help you as the founder know what needs to happen in order for your customers’ desired outcomes to be achieved every step of the way?
• Provide an exceptional customer experience for every customer that uses your product
• Sets your company up for success when it’s time to scale and innovate (which is almost all the time if you’re progressing as a business)?

Being customer-first means knowing the needs and desired outcomes of each of your customers and making sure there is a plan in place to over-deliver. Having this customer lifecycle in place and also making sure it’s flexible to fit the evolving needs of your customers is the key to long-term success for your business and your customers. In other words, it’s the key to truly being customer-first.?

Putting The Two Together?

Now that we know what it takes to be a Product-Led AND Customer-First startup, how do we combine the two in order to succeed but also not want to pull our hair out every day??

The good news is that if you’re a startup founder, you’re already pulling your hair out every day so why not do that while you’re doing the right things that will make you truly scale your business and customer base?

Putting these two together is 100% possible and, quite frankly, simple. It just takes a few key steps. Here they are:?

1. Your MVP and ICP should be able to coexist in your 60-second pitch. If this is not the case, go back to the drawing board. You need to make all of this as simple as possible so that a mere child could grasp it.?
2. Once that is done, ensure that you have the right internal tools to not only make your product work like clockwork but that you and your internal teams know what to do at every step along the customer lifecycle. I know, as a startup, your budget is tight. But never underestimate the power of a quality tech stack. Do what you can.?
3. Speaking of employees, make sure you hire employees that not only have a passion for your product but know how to be customer-centric. Your product, tech stack, and everything else are only as good as the people you hire. I don’t need to explain this any further.?
4. And finally, once you have a simple pitch that involves your MVP and ICP, a basic tech stack that moves your customers and employees through the customer lifecycle, and quality employees that love your product and customers, it’s time to just kick back and let things happen as they should.

NOPE. JUST KIDDING.

The fun has just started and now it’s on YOU, fellow founder, to ensure your customers are set up for success at every step of their time with you. Here are some key things to always be checking on when it comes to the overall experience of your customers:?

• How long it takes for them to fully use your product after they sign the contract
• If they have issues, where do they go for help, and are these channels consistently being updated to address the evolving needs of your customers?
• The product interface and the simplicity of it
• Your renewal process and the channels in place to facilitate an easy, seamless renewal
• The marketing materials you are putting out (Blog, podcast, webinars, social media pages, etc) and the content being displayed is addressing the core needs of your customer base. This will change and evolve so plan accordingly.?

That’s just a few examples of how you can facilitate an amazing customer experience for your customers that will ensure their satisfaction and long-term success.?

Sounds easy, right??

Well, it may not be ‘easy’ but it’s simple.?

Your product and customers go hand-in-hand and the sooner you can create an environment where the two can thrive together in and outside your organization, the faster you will be able to make your dreams come true as a founder.?

I’m rooting for you. You got this!?