Products and Customers

05/23/2011 02:55 p.m. | Business

1. Anyone can come up with an idea for a product.
2. Fewer people can get the resources necessary to make the product.
3. Even fewer can actually make the product with the right resources.
4. And even fewer can manage to make a profit selling this product to customers.

If you move the customers to the top of the list, things go much easier.

1. Customers help focus ideas of products to something they want.
2. Customers make it easier to acquire resources (via bootstrapping or VC).
3. Customers help get the product made by field testing and feedback.
4. Customers help you make a profit because they are already paying you.

You don't have to be a Jobsian visionary and build the perfect product from scratch.

Customers are the reason for products. The 2% who did it all on their own are either lucky or just the best. The other 98% could succeed by focusing on customers. Sadly most try and fail to be part of the 2%. How are you building your products?

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