Customer-driven Development

Starting a business is an exciting journey. Product development, customer development, and team building are all very fun and challenging exercises. One of our favorite parts of this journey has been customer development, which is an often under-emphasized part of the startup process. In our experience, this is actually THE most important step in building a successful business.

This week, we set out to interview customers and get feedback. We reached out to over 100 people, and the results have been transformative. Our initial concept had weaknesses we didn’t account for, but we discovered new opportunities we hadn’t foreseen.

It’s been incredible to see the willingness and passion customers have for our product. One person was completely honest. “As your product is right now, I wouldn’t use it. But if it had X, Y, and Z, I would 100% use it and refer it to my friends.” Incredible. The simple step of reaching out to people has not only defined our product roadmap, but has secured future customers if we can execute.

From everyone at the Pixels team, we want to say a huge THANK YOU for your time and feedback. It’s incredibly generous and has transformed our approach to product development. Every thought, idea, and critique is well-received and carefully reviewed to inform the direction of our company.

For other startups out there, put your customers first. Customer-driven development is far more effective and the rewards are endless.

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