Better Product Managers, and Product Management

Anybody, As Long As It’s Not You

January 28th, 2010

Question: Who should give you feedback on your early-stage product mockups/demo?

a) Your investors

b) Your most loyal, early-adopter existing customers

c) A demographically-balanced segment of people who have no familiarity with your product

d) Anybody, as long as it’s not you

OK, sure, there’s probably an “ideal” audience to show your product to.  But it probably doesn’t matter.

Earlier this week, I emailed a friend with a URL to ask for his feedback.   To be honest, he was far from my “ideal” user testing subject: an expert user, tech- and product-management-savvy, an existing user of previous versions of the product, super-familiar with our company and what we’re trying to do.  The kind of person who’d probably agree with me on what websites rock and what apps are lousy.

How useful could his feedback possibly be?

(I think you know where this is going.)

He was kind enough to send me a Screentoaster video of him navigating through the flows and “thinking out loud” — and from the first glance he started pointing out problems we hadn’t noticed.  Wording that was confusing.  A call-to-action button below the fold.  An interactive panel that we’d thought was awesome – that wasn’t nearly clear enough.  And on and on and on…

Even an “expert” noticed these problems – because he wasn’t me.

Even as someone who’s done tons of critiqueing UIs and workflows, I just hadn’t succeeding in stepping back and seeing our product concept through the eyes of a customer.

So — don’t wait until you have a full product, don’t wait until you’ve done another round of design, don’t wait until you’ve revised your copy.  Get someone to take a look at whatever you have NOW.  Doesn’t matter who – as long as it’s not you.

PS – hey readers, if you’ve got a few moments and can record a Screentoaster video of yourself walking through these flows, email me.  I’ll be happy to return the favor for you and your product!

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  • http://emptymind.org Jason

    This is simply brilliant. I couldn’t agree with you more and I wish more companies would take this approach to product development.

    It seems so simple and obvious, yet there are very few who take this proven approach to success.

  • http://softwaremaven.innerbrane.com Travis Jensen

    I couldn’t agree more. No matter how objective you try to be, you have to much knowledge of why things are the way they are to be able to effectively critique things.

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com/startup-d-o-a/2010/02/02/ Startup D.O.A

    [...] to validate. Sit down with your co-founders and talk this out. Think about how you could validate. Think about who you should speak to. Don’t be shy. Get past the fear of rejection as quickly as you can. [...]

  • http://twitter.com/cindyalvarez cindyalvarez

    “Get someone to look at your product concept NOW. Doesn’t matter who – as long as it’s not you” http://bit.ly/9yRjv4 #leanstartup

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • cmer

    Excellent article Ben. So true. I can think of a few startups currently in this situation. I hope they’ll recognize themselves in what you wrote and take proper actions.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/cmer cmer

    Excellent article Ben. So true. I can think of a few startups currently in this situation. I hope they’ll recognize themselves in what you wrote and take proper actions.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com/ Benjamin Yoskovitz

    I hope so too because it’s frustrating to see time and time again this sort of experience. It’s not a prerequisite of startup life that you have to go through such a painful process.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://twitter.com/byosko byosko

    Good point from @cindyalvarez – get feedback, any feedback from anyone other than yourself: http://bit.ly/dhfv3D

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://twitter.com/quantumwhisper quantumwhisper

    RT @byosko: Good point from @cindyalvarez – get feedback, any feedback from anyone other than yourself: http://bit.ly/dhfv3D

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • Phil

    If your startup is targeting a specific business domain, then I think one of the founders (at least) must be an expert in the domain. This is the guy that will do most of the validation early on with potential clients…

    If all the founders are tech-oriented people who think they could disrupt any domain with their great ideas….then…I wish them best of luck…

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • josephlogan

    Excellent, excellent, excellent. Someone needs to say this from time to time. Reason #3 that startups get into trouble is the whole reason I do what I do.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/e01757ef19690e327779061ea2809cfc Phil

    If your startup is targeting a specific business domain, then I think one of the founders (at least) must be an expert in the domain. This is the guy that will do most of the validation early on with potential clients…

    If all the founders are tech-oriented people who think they could disrupt any domain with their great ideas….then…I wish them best of luck…

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/josephlogan josephlogan

    Excellent, excellent, excellent. Someone needs to say this from time to time. Reason #3 that startups get into trouble is the whole reason I do what I do.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • Monica

    Terrific post. Doesn’t just apply to IT. I’ve had a similar experience but made it through via major shift of strategy and other quickly learned lessons. I like what Derek Sivers says, “start crappy” – just get it out there… you’d be able to tell from that point if there’s value in going forward

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://ndemir.com/ Nurullah

    Excellent article :)

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/00fae8aecf1305c0ae86e209768d54ef Monica

    Terrific post. Doesn’t just apply to IT. I’ve had a similar experience but made it through via major shift of strategy and other quickly learned lessons. I like what Derek Sivers says, "start crappy" – just get it out there… you’d be able to tell from that point if there’s value in going forward

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.decodecarhire.co.uk/car-hire/spain/lanzarote/lanzarote-airport.html Diana

    Great and true article.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://aggiebooks.com/ Texas A&M

    Thanx for the useful tps…It proves to be of great use….

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://aggiebooks.com/ Texas A&M

    Thanx for the useful tps…It proves to be of great use….

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.toolsunplugged.co.uk/ Steve

    I see this all of the time. Why don’t people spend the time on planning and research before they start spending? The right planning can mean the difference between success or failure – there’s a very fine line! Hare and the Tortoise.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • submitstartup

    You got me to Point Number 3 and explained my situation EXACTLY. But I launch the project in a premature stage to see the BUZZ and WOW do I get a buzz from the projects I launch. Problem is I do this to prove it to myself it will be successful before investing any money but by the time I launched the startup and found it to be successful it has already been copied by 100 other sites (Exaggerating a little actually, maybe 2 only) before I could continue developing it.

    Anybody had a similar experience??

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/submitstartup submitstartup

    You got me to Point Number 3 and explained my situation EXACTLY. But I launch the project in a premature stage to see the BUZZ and WOW do I get a buzz from the projects I launch. Problem is I do this to prove it to myself it will be successful before investing any money but by the time I launched the startup and found it to be successful it has already been copied by 100 other sites (Exaggerating a little actually, maybe 2 only) before I could continue developing it.

    Anybody had a similar experience??

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.apluswriter.com/ APlus

    Where are people getting the money to even try a start-up? Today, the belts of tightened so much that a few of my own ideas are on hold until I can find someone willing to lend me even the first dollar. I think most people have enough sense (I hope) to adjust during their first experiences with owning a business. The problem that I see often is that individuals have a very difficult time making decisions. There are a few books I have read which help individuals make the right decisions and I recommend that if you are trying to start-up; read, ask, and read some more! Good luck all.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.flowers-page.com/ Flowers

    Thanks for very interesting blog!

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • coronahomesforsale

    Validating a startup idea is key validating the business module, product, project sales. Is very hard when you are just starting up. But somehow you have to come up with some conservative and realistic numbers.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/coronahomesforsale coronahomesforsale

    Validating a startup idea is key validating the business module, product, project sales. Is very hard when you are just starting up. But somehow you have to come up with some conservative and realistic numbers.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.letseatonline.com/blog LetsEatOnline

    Ben very true article, as you know there are about 8,000 new start-ups everyday and how many of them actually success? not that many, Its hard, the only solution is not to give up so many people give up after few weeks, maybe months but It takes at least 8months to get few people interested in your start-ups so be patient. and never give up

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.cervirite.com/ Cervirite

    Excellent indeed. I think I’ve been through this. Maybe it would be a good idea to have a copy of this post if we are to start a business. We need to check if we’re following on this side of the road.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com/ Benjamin Yoskovitz

    Any good idea will have competition, it’s inevitable, and for the most part you can’t stop something you’re working on because of competition. If there’s no competition, that’s when you should really worry…

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.instigatorblog.com/ Benjamin Yoskovitz

    Any good idea will have competition, it’s inevitable, and for the most part you can’t stop something you’re working on because of competition. If there’s no competition, that’s when you should really worry…

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.acspacific.com/ Philippine call center

    This is EXACTLY what happened to me. I now have a 4-month old startup that isn’t going anywhere and is gathering dust…although that’s because I stumbled on a huge monetary roadblock. I think if I just had enough money I could make it work.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.acspacific.com/ Philippine call center

    This is EXACTLY what happened to me. I now have a 4-month old startup that isn’t going anywhere and is gathering dust…although that’s because I stumbled on a huge monetary roadblock. I think if I just had enough money I could make it work.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://intelligentforex.wordpress.com/ Mark

    Great topic, Ben! You made some good points! I am looking forward to read more your posts!

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.complaintcentre.com/ David

    Its funny when you think about how the internet has changed over the last 5 years. Unless your idea is 110% unique, there is little need to lock yourself in a room with caffine and search startup capital. Most scripts exist and can be mashed together. you can now buy a script for a few huindred to a few thousand dollars that would have originally cost 500K 5 years ago.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • san_diego_website

    It definitely hurts the soul when you take that final plunge. I think the main thing for me last time was the I started far too large and focused entirely on the product and not the sales of such.

    What I learned the second time around was to sell early. Sell long before the product is ideal, in your opinion. You’ll at least learn about your target markets and this will provide you with excellent feedback with which you can be agile and alter your product while its still in early evolution. As long as you support what you release, regardless of stage in the product cycle, your clients will be happy and word of mouth will flow.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.getridofclutter.net/ Chris

    Great Article Ben. Thanks

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.roylaurie.com/ San Diego Website

    It definitely hurts the soul when you take that final plunge. I think the main thing for me last time was the I started far too large and focused entirely on the product and not the sales of such.

    What I learned the second time around was to sell early. Sell long before the product is ideal, in your opinion. You’ll at least learn about your target markets and this will provide you with excellent feedback with which you can be agile and alter your product while its still in early evolution. As long as you support what you release, regardless of stage in the product cycle, your clients will be happy and word of mouth will flow.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://juicy-forex-signals.blogspot.com/ Forex signals

    Very well written post…quality content! Keep up the great work! Thanks, Ben!

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://juicy-forex-signals.blogspot.com/ Forex signals

    Very well written post…quality content! Keep up the great work! Thanks, Ben!

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.thenewbiesuniversity.com/ Lee

    Thanks for this timely post Ben, I’ve been working with a few newbies who have fallen into this mode of behavior and am working to help guide them to higher ground.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • AdventureCyclist

    Great topic and superb points. I am probably still a year or so away from hoping to avoid the pitfalls you describe

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://disqus.com/people/AdventureCyclist AdventureCyclist

    Great topic and superb points. I am probably still a year or so away from hoping to avoid the pitfalls you describe :)

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://www.increaseyourtraffic.co.uk/ AdventureCyclist

    Great topic and superb points. I am probably still a year or so away from hoping to avoid the pitfalls you describe :)

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

  • http://financialsecrets101.com/ Griff

    Great post! well put. I have experience this same “DOA” to a small extent. There have been several businesses that I have started and have failed miserably. But from those mistakes I have learned to surround myself with wise counsel before making the “jump”.

    This comment was originally posted on Startup, entrepreneurship & social media insight from Instigator Blog

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