Of all the things I wrote in that book ten years ago, "the benefit of your insignificance" is a point that is even more germane to the topic of business start up. It is exasperating to see people halt progress based on a notion they form that customers will reject some offer, for -
too expensive
too slow
too rough
too little...
but that is precisely what is at the start of every start up:
Expensive
Slow
Few
Rough
Here is the first Apple Computer...
All you need is enough orders from your customers to cover the supplier's minimum order requirement, in a workable amount of time, profitably. When you are there, you do you first transaction, and with the payment you have received another wealth of information no one else has, since it relates to your product. This is the way to exclusivity - expertise in uniqueness.
Never design based on what you think, always based on what customers say. You can and should pose what you think to customers as a hypothesis, but never offer your ides in the form of a product.
Why? Because your opinion does not matter. Understand that, and you'll start making money by serving customers.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
too expensive
too slow
too rough
too little...
but that is precisely what is at the start of every start up:
Expensive
Slow
Few
Rough
Here is the first Apple Computer...
 |
| http://apple2history.org/history/ah02/ |
Never design based on what you think, always based on what customers say. You can and should pose what you think to customers as a hypothesis, but never offer your ides in the form of a product.
Why? Because your opinion does not matter. Understand that, and you'll start making money by serving customers.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
2 comments:
Dear John, after reading your article, I was thinking:
So I shouldn´t base my business or product around something I feel passion for because the customer could not care less about my passions or desires.
Instead the important thing is what the customer wants or thinks he want or need...
So from that point of view you can be rich and successful outside your passions.
Doesn´t that conflict with your usual advice of focusing in our passions to create a product?
Thanks John
Not even the slightest contradiction...
The genesis of the business is the passion (suffering) which gives you an idea.
The solution to the idea, for which you experience joy when working on, tips you off as to what you are doing.
Your solution, before you ever put pen to paper or spend a dime, is taken straight to those you believe would buy from you, to test for their opinion (with you acting as a customer of theirs.)
There is no contradiction there, so attend, and very very soon, start your business rather than keep thinking about it and get confused more.
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