Why Great Products Win Every Time

Most startups fail because they build products that users like, not products they love. The difference isn’t just semantic—it’s what separates thriving businesses from those destined for the graveyard. This week, we’re diving into why great products always win, and how you can craft something your users can’t live without.

The Secret Sauce of Winning Products

Great products share one universal truth: they solve a real problem better than anything else on the market. Airbnb wasn’t just a convenient way to book accommodations; it redefined travel by creating personal, affordable, and unique experiences. Start by asking yourself, What problem am I solving, and for whom?

Step 1: Understanding User Needs

The foundation of any great product is an in-depth understanding of your users. This doesn’t mean a one-off survey or cursory market research. It means embedding yourself in their world.

• Talk to Your Users: Host conversations, observe their behaviors, and, most importantly, listen. Direct, unfiltered feedback is gold.
• Identify Pain Points: What frustrates them? What’s inconvenient or inefficient in their current solution? Find the pain point your product can eliminate.
• Create Personas: Build detailed user personas to ensure you’re solving problems for specific, real people rather than abstract ideas.

Airbnb’s founders lived in their own listings to experience firsthand what hosts and guests went through. This radical empathy enabled them to create a product that resonated deeply with both sides of their marketplace.

Step 2: Delivering Unmatched Value

Value is the currency of great products. It’s not enough to build something functional; your product must deliver value so compelling that users immediately understand its worth.

• Clear Differentiation: What makes your product stand out? Whether it’s speed, ease, price, or innovation, ensure your unique selling point (USP) is obvious.
• Communicate Benefits Clearly: A great product has a story. Ensure users know why it exists and how it can make their lives better.
• Overdeliver: Exceed expectations wherever possible. A surprising, delightful feature can turn a user into a lifelong advocate.

Step 3: The Power of Iteration

Your first product won’t be perfect. That’s okay—iteration is where greatness is born. Launch a minimum viable product (MVP) to test your hypothesis and then relentlessly refine.

• Feedback Loops: Create structured ways to gather user insights continuously. Tools like NPS (Net Promoter Score) or direct user interviews can provide invaluable data.
• Prioritize Fixes: Not all feedback carries equal weight. Focus on changes that align with your vision while addressing user frustrations.
• Adopt a Growth Mindset: View every iteration as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve.

Dropbox’s early MVP was just a simple explainer video. The team used user feedback from the video’s reception to guide product development, ensuring every feature aligned with user desires.

The Love Metric: Measuring Success

Want to know if your product is on the right track? Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Repeat Usage: Are users returning without prompting? Engagement speaks louder than any vanity metric.
2. Emotional Attachment: Would your users be genuinely upset if your product disappeared tomorrow? The depth of their reliance signals value.
3. Organic Advocacy: Are users recommending your product to friends? Word of mouth is the ultimate testament to your product’s greatness.

If you’re not seeing strong indicators in these areas, it’s time to double down on understanding your users and refining your offering.

Real-World Examples

• Slack: By focusing on workplace communication, Slack turned a simple chat tool into an indispensable productivity enhancer. Their obsession with usability and team collaboration made it a must-have.
• Tesla: Tesla didn’t just make electric cars; they made aspirational products. From design to performance, they exceeded customer expectations and created a loyal fan base.

Actionable Takeaway

This week, challenge yourself to get closer to your users. Reach out to 10 people who have used your product and ask them:

• What’s the one thing you love about this product?
• What’s the one thing you hate?

Take these insights to your next product meeting and prioritize fixes or enhancements that address the most common themes.

Closing Thought

Great products aren’t built overnight, but they’re always built with love—love for the users, love for solving their problems, and love for constant improvement. Focus on making something a small group of people adore, and you’ll build the foundation for something the world will embrace.

Remember, success isn’t about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things extraordinarily well. Let’s build something great together.