Why You Need to Use Your Own Product

Would you use your own product?

I constantly see this question on my feed and I think it’s a great one. It’s a question every founder should ask themselves. Why?

It's a simple test of your product's viability. Personally, I've fallen into the trap of building something I didn't really need, and because of that, I couldn't effectively spot problems or provide useful features. Those were months of?"wasted"?time.

However, now I approach it differently. I recently became part of a project I initially joined as just another user.

And through this process, I’ve learnt just how important using your own product is.

How I found my latest venture

Last month, we brought another startup,?House of Pitch , under the?Evernomic ?network. Unlike my usual investments, which often come from direct outreach or manual discovery, this one was unique.

I originally joined House of Pitch because it helped me discover other projects to invest in. But shortly after signing up, the founders reached out for a product feedback call. I agreed, seeing an opportunity to share insights from a similar idea I once had. I had no intention of investing or getting involved at that point; I just wanted to help improve a product I was already benefiting from.

During our call, it quickly became clear that we were a good fit. The founders proposed the idea of me joining as an advisor, and I was keen. We sorted out the terms, signed the contract, and I'm now officially part of the House of Pitch team!

Why you need to use your own product

Even though I’m now focused on growing House of Pitch, I’m still just another user at heart. I have a call with someone who pitched me on the platform later today actually.

While my situation is unique, all founders should try adopt a similar viewpoint. You need to build something you yourself would use, even if you had no affiliation with it. Here’s why:

Knowing what to add

With House of Pitch, my new position gives me the opportunity to implement features that I want to see as a user.

For instance, as an investor on the platform, I received pitches which I liked, but the ticket sizes were beyond my individual reach. So, we introduced a feature where users like me can pitch other investors to pool resources and form a?syndicate, allowing us to invest in projects collaboratively.

This insider perspective is incredibly valuable. As a user, you can directly address pain points because you experience them firsthand. You know what improvements are needed because you see the gaps in the product yourself.

Solving your own problems

Alongside House of Pitch, I manage several other media projects. These ventures all need traction to thrive, but creating this attention for new media brands was always a problem I had to solve.

House of Pitch allows users to pitch journalists and secure press releases, giving startups essential exposure. As a user, I leveraged the platform to gain media coverage for my additional projects, helping them gain the traction they need.

This not only benefits those projects but also strengthens my understanding and appreciation of the platform. I can attest for what the platform can do, because I’ve done it for myself. I’m not just guessing the product can solve a problem for my users, I know it does because it solved the problem for me!

Genuinely having a use for your own product builds a level of authenticity and trust with your user base. Not only do you understand the problems your users face in much more detail, but you can speak to how the product helped you solve a problem you previously had.

And if your product didn’t solve your problem? Then you can see where you need to improve it.

So, ask yourself:?would I use my own product?

Does it have features that you want to see as a user? And does it solve a problem that you yourself have dealt with?

If the answer is yes, you're on the right track.