Why 95% of New Products Fail – And How One Tool Can Change That

Why 95% of New Products Fail – And How One Tool Can Change That

A few years ago, I worked with a startup that had a brilliant idea—a mobile app for freelancers to find gigs faster. They poured time, money, and energy into development.

Launch day came, and guess what? Crickets.

? Downloads were low.

? Users weren’t engaging.

? The team was frustrated—“But we built exactly what freelancers need!”

This is when I introduced them to the Value Proposition Canvas.

Step 1: Identifying the Real Problem

We mapped out two key areas:

• Customer Pains & Gains (What struggles freelancers face and what they want to achieve)
• Product Features & Benefits (What the app was offering)

And then it hit us: There was a gap. The app solved a problem that the team assumed existed—but freelancers had different pain points!

Step 2: Adjusting the Strategy

Instead of just “finding gigs,” freelancers needed:

• A way to showcase their skills (portfolio integration)
• Payment protection (to avoid non-paying clients)
• Networking features (to build long-term client relationships)

The original app missed these.

Step 3: Pivot & Relaunch

Using insights from the Value Proposition Canvas, the team redesigned the app, focusing on real user needs.

The Result?

? User adoption skyrocketed

? Engagement rates increased by 300%

? The app became a go-to platform for freelancers

Lesson Learned: Building a product without deeply understanding customer pain points is like shooting in the dark. The Value Proposition Canvas ensures that what you create truly resonates.

Have you ever launched a product or service that didn’t go as planned? How did you fix it? Let’s discuss this in the comments! ??

#BusinessAnalysis #ValueProposition #ProductDevelopment #CustomerExperience #Strategy #ContinuousImprovement