Every good story
needs a protagonist,
(and you are not it).
When you create a product or start offering a service, you want people to know you exist. You might think you need to shout about how great your offering is, dress it in fancy clothes, and push it onto the stage like an overbearing parent. If you imagine this type of offering as a person, wouldn’t it smack of insecurity?
Forgive me while I nerd out for a second.
Samwise Gamgee is the real hero of Lord of the Rings. Sure, Frodo may be the one that carries the ring (and gets a cool glowing sword) but it is Samwise that carries Frodo. The quest could not succeed without him, because through it all his focus is solely on the needs of his companion, not on being celebrated.
Real heroes aren’t concerned about whether anyone else knows they are the hero.
I believe the key to success is finding a way to make someone else look good. You may look good as a byproduct , but it can’t be the aim in itself.
When we released doopoll, we started with a bold style that made a big impression. Users frequently told us that they loved how good the app looked. However, as we probed deeper, we found out that actually what our users really wanted was for them to look good.
Imagine a conversation where you bring two people together. They hit it off, and start talking. Now imagine that all the way through that conversation you feel the need to let them know that it was you that brought them together by shouting your own name and waving your arms in front of them.
Never be that guy.
Today we release custom team themes for doopoll. Users can now theme their loops and presenter views to reflect their own personal style. There isn’t a scent of our branding on there (bar a small ‘powered by’), if the user doesn’t want it.
When you create a product or a service, your users and customers are the protagonist. This is their story. You are a supporting character who might just pop in for a chapter or two, or you may go the whole journey. Regardless, it is up to you to enable them to move forward in their narrative, and make them look good whilst doing it.
Be the real hero.
