Balancing Customer Needs With Business Goals

Your Head of Product will tell you this: The best PMs aren’t product people. The best PMs are business people. Early in my career, I thought being a strong PM meant: ✅ Clean roadmaps ✅ On-time releases ✅ Backlog grooming like a pro I checked every box—and still missed the mark. Because none of that matters if the product doesn’t drive the business. Old way: PMs manage features, coordinate teams, and keep the engine running. New way: PMs challenge assumptions, prioritize by impact, and own outcomes—not just outputs. Before anything goes on the roadmap, ask: - What business metric does this move? - What customer problem does it solve? - Why now? When you start thinking like a business owner—not just a product owner—everything changes. Here are 3 ways to make that shift: ✅ Take the initiative to drive action. Don’t wait for direction—own the next move. -> Frame problems, not just solutions. -> Bring data and customer insights to support your case. -> Proactively align with cross-functional partners. 💡 Actionable step: Use a BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) to pitch new ideas: - What we’re proposing - Why it matters to the business - What we need to move forward ✅ Ensure the team knows the vision you’re pursuing. People don’t rally behind features—they rally behind purpose. -> Set clear outcomes, not just outputs. -> Anchor sprints to customer impact. -> Tell the story behind the roadmap. 💡 Actionable step: Start each sprint with a one-liner: "This week, we’re solving this problem for this customer because it supports this business goal." ✅ Prioritize by business impact. Great PMs don’t chase effort—they chase outcomes. -> Tie every feature to a metric that matters. -> Cut what doesn’t move the needle. -> Make tradeoffs visible and deliberate. 💡 Actionable step: Make sure every feature on the roadmap is linked to a prioritized strategic initiative. If it doesn’t ladder up, it doesn’t ship. Final thought: You don’t need an MBA. But you do need to think like a GM. -- 👋 I’m Ron Yang, a product leader and advisor. Follow me for insights on product leadership & strategy.

Do you believe what’s best for the customer is what’s best for the business? No really, do you? Let’s be honest. If you’re a Customer Success or Account Management leader, you’ve probably said: 💡 “Let’s just focus on what’s best for the customer.” That’s a great instinct. It’s the right instinct. But here’s where we need to level up 👇 What’s best for the customer is also what fuels revenue and enables our companies to grow. Not short-term appeasement. Not saying yes to every ask out of fear of churn. Not over-servicing until we burn out our teams. What customers really need? ✅ Partners who are strong, healthy, and still here tomorrow. ✅ Capabilities that help them grow and not just support them today. ✅ A company that is investing forward, not just fixing backward. And that only happens when we grow, too. 🔁 So here's a mindset pivot: From Support to Strategic Driver This isn’t about being more “salesy.” It’s about being more strategic (yes, we've all heard and said this before). Your CSMs have the closest view of: 🙏 What customers really need next 🛑 What blockers are in the way of growth 💰 What outcomes matter in each segment They see the signals. They hold the trust. And they can be the voice that rallies the org to create future value and not just react to current pain. But only if we lead the mindset shift. 🧠 ✅ Here are 3 Steps to Make the Shift 1️⃣ Connect Customer Health to Company Health Revenue metrics like NRR and GRR aren’t just business outcomes. They are signals of value delivered. Use them to reinforce that we only win when our customers do. 2️⃣ Push for Strategic Conversations Move beyond “how are things going” into “where are you trying to go.” 3️⃣ Rally the Org Around What’s Next Customer Success should not be the team that gets looped in after the problem. It should be the team shaping roadmaps, offers, and partnerships based on customer needs 6 to 12 months out. 🔚 A Final Word Customer-first does not mean company-last. It means ensuring we are strong enough to serve — now and in the future. Let’s stop treating CS like the team that prevents churn. Let’s lead it like the team that builds growth. The future isn’t handed to us. We create it. With our customers. Together. #CreateTheFuture #CustomerSuccess #AccountManagement #PostSalesLeadership #NextSalesLeadership #CustomerGrowth #StrategicLeadership #NRRMatters #LeadTheChange

Customer Success Leaders—If you're not actively shaping the Product Roadmap, you're missing a critical opportunity. The most effective organizations don’t treat CS as a participant—they rely on it as a strategic partner. Product teams should be co-designing the future with their customers. That means: ✅ Understanding emerging use cases and evolving needs ✅ Enhancing the product based on real customer insights ✅ Prioritizing with business impact and revenue in mind In today’s market—where consolidation, cost-cutting, and efficiency are top priorities—building a product that truly solves business challenges is the difference between success and irrelevance. So, how do you drive better alignment between CS and Product? Here’s what I've seen work: 1️⃣ Lead with Data & Insights -Identify the most adopted and least adopted product features -Pinpoint where customers are dropping off and why -Find personas and use cases that drive the most value -Look for patterns and trends across your customer base 2️⃣ Support Data with Customer Stories -Conduct interviews and surveys to capture direct feedback -Dive into workflows and edge cases to understand nuances -Align product evolution with customer goals and business objectives 3️⃣ Prioritize Product Feedback Strategically -Leverage customer data to rank impact and urgency -Tie feedback to revenue—renewals, expansions, and upsells -Ensure recommendations align with the broader product vision 4️⃣ Maintain an Open Dialogue -Establish a structured collaboration rhythm (bi-weekly syncs, Slack channels, shared roadmaps) -Keep all teams informed on designs, timelines, and priorities -Be clear, concise, and adaptable—Product is balancing competing priorities across the org 5️⃣ Close the Loop—Every Time -Set clear expectations with customers early and often -Enable Product teams to engage directly with customers for firsthand learning -Continue gathering feedback even after launch (beta programs, customer advisory boards) At the end of the day, great products are built by teams who stay close to the customer. CS should not be a passive observer in product development—it should be a driving force. When you get this right, you influence retention, expansion, and advocacy. And that’s a business win. __________________ 📣 If you liked my post, you’ll love my newsletter. Every week I share learnings, advice and strategies from my experience going from CSM to CCO. Join 12k+ subscribers of The Journey and turn insights into action. Sign up on my profile.

I've helped launch hundreds of products. The sweet spot between customer value and business value is my holy grail. Here's what I've learned about finding it👇 1) Obsess over Key Workflows Identify where your product can make the most significant impact for users. Align your business case around these high-potential areas. 2) Pricing and Packaging Base these on customer willingness-to-pay and expansion opportunities. Forget internal cost models. 3) Double Down on Loyalty Focus on product experiences that drive loyalty, retention, and brand affinity. This aligns with recurring business value. 4) Be Ruthless Say no to one-off feature requests and niche use cases. Prioritize based on total addressable value. 5) Structure Teams Organize teams around delivering measurable customer and business outcomes, not outputs. Connect work to metrics. The most successful products find a way to balance user love and commercial return. It's not easy, but when you nail it, magic happens! This delicate balance is a product leader’s toughest, but most rewarding job.