How do you balance incorporating customer feedback while staying true to your product vision?
Stephen
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Brianna Swartz@brianna_swartz
For me it is a symbiotic relationship. Your product vision should be born out of customer insights (what problem do they have that you are uniquely solving), and from there you should engage in a regular practice of connection with your current and prospective clients to continually calibrate and finesse your road map.
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@brianna_swartz agreed. Having the client involved every step of the process is important. Including time and space for the critical feedback or "temperature checks"
@brianna_swartz Ditto! In the end, your product should be made for your customers so it makes sense to take their feedback into account. Plus, there is not just one way to integrate them, you can be creative and find an approach to acknowledge them while staying true to your vision.
@brianna_swartz spot on! Start with customer insights and continuously stay connected to your clients to refine your roadmap, so you can ensure that you're always delivering value that truly addresses their needs.
@brianna_swartz @thomas_boulesteix Absolutely agree with you! It's important to remember that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to integrating customer feedback, and it's often necessary to be creative and flexible in finding ways to acknowledge your customers' input while still staying true to your product vision.
@elly_cho 100% Developing a set of criteria to evaluate whether or not a decision aligns with the essence of your product is crucial to maintaining consistency and staying true to your product's vision. By having a clear understanding of the values and principles that define your product, you can use them as a framework for decision-making and ensure that every step you take is in line with your overall strategy. This helps you to stay focused on what's truly important and avoid getting sidetracked by distractions that might dilute your product's essence.
I like to ask these initial questions when assessing customer feedback - which can easily lead me down a rabbit hole of further analysis.
1. Does implementing the feedback alter the current product vision? If so, articulate how and review.
2. Will implementing the feedback improve the product for all (or if not, what user segment will it affect?)
3. Define how (specifically) implementing the feedback will make something better or easier for the user.
@denise_campbellsf Your approach to assessing customer feedback is highly analytical and thoughtful Denise! By considering the impact of feedback on the product vision, user segments, and specific improvements, you're able to filter out the noise and prioritize the most valuable insights. This methodical approach can definitely save time and resources while ensuring that any changes made to the product are aligned with its overarching vision and the needs of its users.
Great question @stephen_smith67
Correct me if I'm wrong but, being open to feedback even on the core idea of your product takes a lot of guts and I feel people who have mastered this will know and understand user concerns better as they listen to other opinions and also address them.
Let me know your thoughts on this as well :)
@noel_rajakumar Absolutely agree! Being receptive to feedback and incorporating it into your product development process is a sign of not only courage but also humility and a growth mindset. It allows you to better understand and serve your users' needs and ultimately leads to a more successful product. As they say, 'the customer is always right,' and listening to their concerns and ideas can lead to invaluable insights and innovations."
Balance is a great word and always a great aspiration. It's a process of consistent and dynamic attunement to yourself and your vision, as well as being truly open to hear from your team, your supporters and stakeholders, your customers, and the environment. It's the willingness to be open and change or tweak course when needed and the willingness to be true and steadfast to your vision when needed; and the wisdom to know the difference!