Lessons from launching effective B2B continuous product discovery
It’s not about how many sticky notes you get through
A solid continuous discovery method is at the heart of every great product. In its most simple form, continuous discovery involves conducting small research activities with customers on a frequent basis and is the foundation of an up-to-date understanding of your users’ most pressing problems, how they solve them (with your product or not) and in what order they do it.
Frequent user interactions can get tricky in a B2B world given the professionalism of some corporate relationships. Product managers can find themselves removed from end users by relationship managers who are their company’s sole point of contact, or in an organisation that is simply too risk averse to be running experiments for fear of tarnishing its reputation in its client’s eyes.
This can make B2B continuous discovery difficult but by no means impossible. Having worked in product roles in a few B2B organisations this article wraps up my top tips that I’ve learned from launching and running effective continuous discovery. It’s worth noting that some of these lessons will apply to B2C product companies, I just happen to have the most experience in a B2B ones.
