The Importance of Building a Great Product: Why Even Great Marketing Still Can’t Replace User Experience

Even Great Marketing Still Can’t Replace User Experience

Having worked with many startups and companies, I’ve come to realize the critical importance of building a high-quality product that offers an excellent user experience while addressing real problems. A product that leaves a lasting impression on those who use it—even just once—will make them want to return to it again and again.

Sometimes, companies with poorly designed products tend to blame their salespeople for not being able to close deals, claiming they haven't done their best to drive sales. However, no matter how much is spent on marketing or sales efforts, it won’t make a difference if the product fails to deliver. When users try a product and have a poor experience, they won’t need to lie about it—they simply won’t come back. It’s that simple.

Consider a salesperson tasked with selling two different products: one that truly addresses a real problem and provides a great user experience, and another that doesn’t solve a meaningful issue and offers a subpar experience. The same salesperson will have a much easier time selling the product that genuinely meets users’ needs and delights them. Trust me, the very same person can successfully sell a product that addresses real problems and delivers a great user experience.

The Tale of Two Products

In the bustling world of tech innovation, two startups emerged almost simultaneously, each with the dream of transforming their industry. Both were backed by substantial funding, and both had grand visions. But while one soared to unimaginable heights, the other plummeted into obscurity. The difference? A lesson championed by the legendary Steve Jobs—no marketing can replace the power of a great product that solves a real problem and offers an impeccable user experience.

The Rise of Slack: Transforming Team Collaboration

In the early days of remote work, teams around the world were struggling with the tools available to them. Collaboration platforms were often slow, unreliable, and overly complicated, turning what should have been smooth teamwork into a frustrating, disjointed process. It was clear that something better was needed—something that could truly address the pain points of modern teams.

Enter Slack. The founders of Slack were acutely aware of these frustrations. They didn’t just want to create another communication tool; they wanted to build something that would fundamentally change the way teams worked together. With this vision in mind, they set out to design a product that was not only powerful but also intuitive and enjoyable to use.

The team at Slack poured their energy into understanding their users. They listened closely to the needs of remote workers, gathering insights from real-world experiences. Every feature Slack developed was meticulously designed, tested, and refined with one goal in mind: to make collaboration effortless and effective.

When Slack finally launched, it didn’t rely on a flashy marketing campaign to make an impact. Instead, it gained traction because users genuinely loved it. The platform’s clean, intuitive interface and its ability to integrate seamlessly with other tools made it an instant hit. Teams found that Slack made communication faster, more organized, and less intrusive, turning what was once a chore into a smooth, creative process.

Word of Slack’s effectiveness spread quickly, not because of paid endorsements, but because users couldn’t stop talking about how much it improved their work lives. People began recommending it to their friends and colleagues, and before long, Slack became an essential tool for teams across the globe. Its rise wasn’t fueled by hype or aggressive advertising; it was driven by the simple fact that it worked—and it worked beautifully.

Today, Slack is synonymous with team collaboration. It didn’t just enter the market; it transformed it by focusing on solving a real problem and delivering a user experience that teams loved. Its success story is a testament to the power of building a product that truly meets the needs of its users.

The Fall of Windows Phone: A Missed Opportunity in the Smartphone Market

A well-known example of a product that failed despite significant investment and potential is the Windows Phone. Microsoft entered the smartphone market in 2010, aiming to compete with iOS and Android. The Windows Phone was introduced with a unique user interface, featuring a "live tile" system that was different from the icon-based designs of its competitors. Microsoft invested heavily in marketing the Windows Phone, partnering with major hardware manufacturers like Nokia to create devices that showcased the new operating system.

The Windows Phone was designed to integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft services, like Office and Xbox, and it aimed to offer a differentiated experience from iOS and Android. Microsoft also sought to attract developers to create apps for the Windows Phone Store, essential for gaining user adoption.

Despite these efforts, the Windows Phone struggled to gain traction in a market dominated by Apple and Google. Several factors contributed to its downfall:

One of the biggest issues was the lack of apps in the Windows Phone Store. Popular apps that were readily available on iOS and Android were either missing or arrived late on Windows Phone, leading to a poor user experience.

By the time Windows Phone entered the market, iOS and Android were already well-established. Users were deeply invested in these ecosystems, making it difficult for Windows Phone to lure them away.

While the live tile interface was innovative, it wasn’t enough to outweigh the platform’s limitations. The inconsistency in app availability and quality further weakened the user experience.

Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia was strong, but other hardware manufacturers were less enthusiastic, leading to a lack of variety in devices that could compete with the broad range available for Android.

Microsoft attempted to revitalize the platform with Windows 8 and later Windows 10 Mobile, but the damage was done. Developers and users alike had largely moved on, and Microsoft eventually discontinued support for Windows Phone in 2017.

The story of Windows Phone is a powerful reminder that even a company with vast resources and marketing power can fail if the product doesn’t meet user expectations. The lack of app support, combined with a late entry into a competitive market, led to its demise. Despite its innovative features, Windows Phone couldn’t deliver the comprehensive user experience needed to compete with iOS and Android, proving that in the tech industry, timing and execution are just as crucial as innovation.

Steve Jobs and the Power of User Experience

The story of Product A and Product B echoes the wisdom of Steve Jobs, who famously said in a 1998 interview with BusinessWeek, "You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology." Jobs believed that no amount of marketing could make up for a poor user experience, and his legacy is a testament to that belief.

Consider the case of Windows Vista. Microsoft launched the operating system in 2007 with a massive marketing push. However, Vista was plagued with performance issues, compatibility problems, and a cumbersome user interface. Despite the marketing efforts, users quickly grew frustrated, and many reverted to the older Windows XP or waited for the next version, Windows 7. Vista’s failure was a great example that a poor user experience can overshadow even the most aggressive marketing campaigns.

Or take Google Glass. It was supposed to be a groundbreaking product, heralding a new era of augmented reality. The hype was enormous, but the actual user experience fell flat. Privacy concerns, limited functionality, and a high price point turned potential customers away. Despite all the initial excitement, Google Glass never gained traction and was eventually discontinued for consumers.

Then there was the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Marketed as a cutting-edge smartphone, it quickly became infamous for its battery issues, which caused the device to catch fire. Despite Samsung’s strong marketing and reputation, the safety concerns and negative user experience led to a massive recall and eventual discontinuation of the product. The incident significantly tarnished Samsung’s brand, proving once again that no amount of marketing can salvage a product that fails to deliver a safe and satisfying user experience.

And who could forget Juicero? The high-tech juicer startup that raised millions and garnered attention for its sleek design and Silicon Valley backing. But when users realized they could squeeze the juice packs by hand—rendering the expensive machine unnecessary—the product quickly became a joke. The disconnect between the marketing message and the actual user experience led to widespread ridicule and the eventual shutdown of the company.

MySpace was the king of social networking. It was the place to be, with millions of users customizing their profiles, sharing music, and connecting with friends. MySpace had a significant head start over its competitors, including a fledgling platform called Facebook.

But as MySpace grew, so did its problems. The site became cluttered with ads, and users were given free rein to customize their pages with flashy themes and autoplaying music. What started as a fun and personal experience quickly turned into a chaotic mess. Pages took forever to load, and the user experience became inconsistent and overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Facebook offered a cleaner, more streamlined experience. There were no messy customizations, just a simple, user-friendly interface that made connecting with friends easy and enjoyable. Users began migrating to Facebook in droves, and MySpace, despite its early dominance, rapidly declined. The cluttered, frustrating experience on MySpace couldn’t compete with Facebook’s simplicity, and soon, MySpace was relegated to the annals of internet history.

There was a time when BlackBerry was synonymous with smartphones. Known for its physical keyboard and unmatched security features, BlackBerry was the go-to device for business professionals around the world. But as the smartphone landscape evolved, so did user expectations.

The iPhone revolutionized the market with its touch screen, intuitive interface, and a robust ecosystem of apps. BlackBerry, however, clung to its physical keyboard and outdated operating system. The user experience on a BlackBerry device began to feel clunky and limited compared to the sleek, app-rich experiences offered by iOS and Android.

Users began to abandon BlackBerry in favor of these more modern devices. The once-dominant player in the smartphone market found itself losing ground rapidly. Despite their loyal following, BlackBerry’s failure to adapt to changing user expectations led to its downfall.

Yahoo! was once a titan of the internet, serving as the go-to portal for search, news, and everything in between. But as the internet evolved, so did the competition. Enter Google, a search engine that focused on delivering fast, relevant results with a clean and simple interface.

Yahoo! Search, on the other hand, became increasingly cluttered. Ads, news articles, and irrelevant information crowded the search results, making the experience frustrating for users looking for quick answers. Google’s streamlined approach quickly won over users who valued speed and simplicity.

As Google rose to dominance, Yahoo! Search began to fade. Despite its early lead in the market, Yahoo!’s failure to prioritize a smooth and efficient user experience cost it its position as the top search engine. The story of Yahoo! is a stark reminder that when it comes to search, less is often more.

Microsoft took a bold step with Windows 8, attempting to create an operating system that worked seamlessly across both PCs and tablets. But in doing so, they made a drastic change: the beloved Start Menu was replaced with a tile-based Start Screen. This new interface, designed with touchscreens in mind, left many users bewildered.

The familiar ease of navigating Windows was suddenly gone, replaced by something that felt foreign and confusing. Negative feedback poured in, and many users chose to stick with Windows 7 or wait for the next version rather than adapt to the new system.

Microsoft quickly responded with Windows 8.1, reintroducing some of the familiar elements users had missed. But the damage was already done. Windows 8’s drastic departure from what users knew and loved created a rift that was hard to mend, highlighting the risks of changing the user experience too much, too quickly.

The Segway was introduced with much fanfare, touted as the future of personal transportation. It was a sleek, futuristic device that promised to revolutionize the way people moved around cities. But despite the hype, the Segway never took off as expected.

The user experience was far from intuitive. Learning to ride a Segway was more difficult than anticipated, and its size and speed made it impractical for many environments. Additionally, the high price point made it inaccessible to the average consumer. What was supposed to be a game-changer turned into a niche product, more commonly seen in tourism than in everyday life.

The Segway’s failure to deliver a user-friendly experience that could integrate seamlessly into daily routines meant that it never reached its revolutionary potential. It serves as a reminder that even the most innovative products can fall flat if they don’t meet users where they are.

In an attempt to compete with Apple’s iPod, Microsoft launched the Zune, a portable media player that came with high expectations. The Zune had some interesting features, but it was plagued by several user experience flaws. The interface was less intuitive than that of the iPod, and it lacked a robust ecosystem like iTunes to support it.

Despite Microsoft’s efforts, the Zune couldn’t capture the hearts of music lovers. Technical glitches and a lack of compelling reasons to choose it over the iPod sealed its fate. Microsoft eventually discontinued the Zune line, acknowledging that it couldn’t compete with the simplicity and elegance of Apple’s offering.

The Zune story is a clear example of how important it is to not only have a product that works but also one that works better than the competition. Without that, even a well-funded and well-marketed product can fail to resonate with users.

The Moral of the Story

These real-life examples underscore a fundamental truth that Steve Jobs understood well: the success of a product depends on its ability to solve real problems and provide an exceptional user experience. It’s not about flashy ads, celebrity endorsements, or viral campaigns—it’s about the product itself.

If you're developing something—whether it’s an app, a device, or a service—remember that your users are your most important stakeholders. They don’t care how much you’ve invested in marketing; they care about how your product enhances their lives. To succeed, you must prioritize their needs, solve their problems, and create an experience that surpasses their expectations.

A great user experience isn’t just a feature—it’s the bedrock of success. No amount of marketing can rescue a product that doesn’t deliver, but a product that truly delights its users will practically sell itself. So, build with purpose, focus on what truly matters, and let your users become your strongest advocates. The future of your product depends on it.

In the end, the success of a product isn’t just about having the most innovative features or the strongest marketing—it’s about crafting an experience that users genuinely love and can’t imagine living without. Ultimately, user experience is the true kingmaker in the world of tech.