“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Jurassic Park, 1993

Sound business advice there. Just because you can build it, it doesn’t mean you should.

So why do so many tech companies go all Jurassic Park on us and stuff their solutions with things their users really don’t want or need?

I see it happen a lot in my industry – the Edtech sector – ultimately to the detriment of the company and their clients. If you want to avoid this pitfall keep these 3 things in mind with everything you develop:

1. Keep it simple to begin with and create a product which deals with a specific Big Problem
2. Keep focus but keep iterating, all the while solving bigger, related problems
3. Constantly refer back to the vision of the Big Problem that will be solved. If it doesn’t help don’t do it!

There are a few sure-fire ways to tell if your business is dead. How many of these do you recognise . . .

1. Have you stopped putting your customers first?

These people pay your salaries. Doing the stuff you think is important over the stuff they think is important will result in them leaving. It’s that simple.

2. Are you standing still?
If you find competitors are doing the stuff you can’t, be afraid. You need to run with the pack (at the very minimum).

3. Are you working in silos?
Every department needs to work with every other department to be successful. Why on earth wouldn’t every company allow it?

This is how you can tell if a business is dead, but what are the vital signs that show it’s still alive?

Connected?

Flexible?

People-focused?

I’m interested to hear your thoughts

Photo by Chris Mitchell from Pexels

Your product is better than that other company’s product. Fact.

You know that to be true because, when you measure your product against whatever metric you’ve made up, your product comes out better.

But if customers aren’t moving to you in droves, your opinion that your product is ‘better’ is simply wrong.

You’re using the wrong metric.

You have to take the time to understand what it is your customers actually want – that’s how you create a product that’s better.

Your thing might be great in your eyes but it’s customer opinion that ultimately matters.