Customer-Centric Innovation Approaches In Tech

While it can be easily believed that customers are the ultimate experts about their own needs, there are ways to gain insights and knowledge that customers may not be aware of or able to articulate directly. While customers are the ultimate source of truth about their needs, product managers can complement this knowledge by employing a combination of research, data analysis, and empathetic understanding to gain a more comprehensive understanding of customer needs and expectations. The goal is not to know more than customers but to use various tools and methods to gain insights that can lead to building better products and delivering exceptional user experiences. ➡️ User Research: Conducting thorough user research, such as interviews, surveys, and observational studies, can reveal underlying needs and pain points that customers may not have fully recognized or articulated. By learning from many users, we gain holistic insights and deeper insights into their motivations and behaviors. ➡️ Data Analysis: Analyzing user data, including behavioral data and usage patterns, can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and pain points. By identifying trends and patterns in the data, product managers can make informed decisions about what features or improvements are most likely to address customer needs effectively. ➡️ Contextual Inquiry: Observing customers in their real-life environment while using the product can uncover valuable insights into their needs and challenges. Contextual inquiry helps product managers understand the context in which customers use the product and how it fits into their daily lives. ➡️ Competitor Analysis: By studying competitors and their products, product managers can identify gaps in the market and potential unmet needs that customers may not even be aware of. Understanding what competitors offer can inspire product improvements and innovation. ➡️ Surfacing Implicit Needs: Sometimes, customers may not be able to express their needs explicitly, but through careful analysis and empathetic understanding, product managers can infer these implicit needs. This requires the ability to interpret feedback, observe behaviors, and understand the context in which customers use the product. ➡️ Iterative Prototyping and Testing: Continuously iterating and testing product prototypes with users allows product managers to gather feedback and refine the product based on real-world usage. Through this iterative process, product managers can uncover deeper customer needs and iteratively improve the product to meet those needs effectively. ➡️ Expertise in the Domain: Product managers, industry thought leaders, academic researchers, and others with deep domain knowledge and expertise can anticipate customer needs based on industry trends, best practices, and a comprehensive understanding of the market. #productinnovation #discovery #productmanagement #productleadership

Your customers lie to you, probably not intentionally. But telling hard truths can be scary. They want to be nice about it. But that’s not helpful for the future of your business. What customers say when they churn vs. what they actually mean: "Your product is missing features" = "Your product doesn't solve MY specific problem" "It's too expensive" = "I'm not getting enough value" "We had budget cuts" = "You weren't essential enough to keep" "The UX is confusing" = "The value isn't worth the effort" As CS leaders, we're trained to take these feedback points and turn them into action plans. But are we hearing what customers are really telling us? Behind every churn reason is a deeper message about value alignment. The question isn't just "How do we fix this issue?" but "Is this the right customer for our solution?" Here's what savvy CS leaders do with each type of feedback: When they say "Missing Features": → Most teams build a roadmap item and promise it for next quarter → Smart CS teams ask: "Which customers succeed without this feature? How are they solving this problem with our current product?" Gather these success stories and either: • Share alternative approaches with similar customers • Use them to refine your targeting toward customers who fit your current solution When they say "Too Expensive": → Most teams offer discounts or create cheaper tiers → Smart CS teams investigate: "Where are we failing to demonstrate value?" This usually means: • Your onboarding isn't highlighting the right use cases • Your metrics aren't aligned with their business outcomes • Your CSMs aren't speaking the language of value When they say "Budget Cuts": → Most teams accept it as unavoidable and move on → Smart CS teams recognize this as the ultimate value failure and ask: "Why weren't we essential?" Then they: • Interview decision-makers to understand prioritization criteria • Adjust success plans to align with executive priorities • Build value frameworks that speak directly to budget holders When they say "Confusing UX": → Most teams send it to product and hope for a fix → Smart CS teams dig deeper: "What specific value were they trying to unlock?" Then they: • Create targeted enablement materials for those specific use cases • Develop more prescriptive implementation approaches • Simplify by removing options, not adding more "intuitive" features

Have you tried Reverse demo? After years of leading sales at multiple startups, I've discovered that traditional product demos often mask the true user experience issues. Especially for new hires, their pitch becomes more of a "Feature Fxxk" That's why I developed what I call the "reverse demo" approach. Here is what my flow look like. 1. I asked the prospect to fill out a 1 min pre-call survey to understand their needs and use case. 2. On the call, dive deep into their needs and understand the whole picture. 3. Pick one of the use case the customers cares most about. 4. Ask them to share their screen and guide them to set up their account and create their first project. Every time they get stuck or don't know where to click, it reveals a genuine product problem. The beauty of this method is that it removes all filters between customer feedback and product teams. There's no sales interpretation or sanitized feedback - product managers and founders can directly observe where users struggle. Yes, it can be uncomfortable. Product teams often squirm watching customers get lost in what they consider an obvious interface. But that discomfort drives faster improvements than any second-hand feedback ever could. I've tested this approach at multiple companies and it consistently outperforms traditional demos. Not only does it surface real usability issues, but it also builds trust with prospects by showing you genuinely care about their experience. The best part? When customers struggle, you can't dismiss it as "user error" or "they just need training." The evidence is right there on the screen. Either your product is intuitive, or it isn't. If you truly want to build a customer-centric product, put your ego aside and let your customers take the wheel. Their confusion will illuminate your path to a better user experience. #customercentric sales #Product demo

I recently spoke to the EVP of CX & Transformation at a $30bn org about her approach to tech. It's NOT to be the newest or "best.” It's to be the most PURPOSEFUL for your customers. Kavitha Mariappan has had a diverse and immensely successful career.  She's worked in multiple geos and has senior leadership experience at high-performing companies like Cisco, Databricks, and today, Zscaler. Early on in her career, she recognized how different customer segments were, especially across different countries. This made her realize that the best solution for one customer isn't always the best solution for another. Which led her to the concept of purposeful tech: Getting real clear on WHY a solution is necessary for a specific set of customers and HOW it's going to make their experiences better.  Doing this requires listening to the voice of the customer.  Research, interviews, surveys - whatever you have to do to stay close to your customers and know exactly what they need.   That's how you can ensure you invest in and develop purposeful tech.  The catch: Just because you're answering your customers' needs doesn't mean your job is done. If you want to be truly innovative, you have to reimagine what's possible.  A customer may ask for X, but X might not be the most impactful thing to build.  You have to entertain the idea that there might be a Y out there worth building - something nobody has thought of before that could totally reinvent a customer's experience for the better. TAKEAWAY Listen to your customers. Build what they need and want. But before you do, ask yourself: Is there something even better and more purposeful we could do than merely deliver on what they're asking for? _______________________________________________________________________________ Check out my full conversation with Kavitha Mariappan on the CX Innovation Playbook Podcast. Link in comments.