Ask These Three Questions Before You Launch a New Product

No seasoned entrepreneur can deny the bitter aftertaste of a failed product launch. It’s one thing pouring your heart and soul into an invention, but then for people not to respond in the way you expect them to, it’s pretty soul-crushing. Usually, the culprit for a sluggish product launch is weak messaging or poorly directed marketing activity — often a combination of the two.

However, there’s a lot you can learn from a failed or stalled launch. In fact, I’ve had several products fail before they’ve got out of the gate and that’s OK because they’ve all come with important lessons.

What I’ve learned is that it’s important to answer three questions early on to help guide you in communicating with your target audience. This will ensure your product reaches the right people.

1. What Problem Does Your Product Solve?

The first question to tackle is straightforward: what problem does your product solve? Some products don’t have an immediately clear function — let’s face it, not everything can be as self-explanatory as an app connecting freelancers and gigs.

However, even seemingly “trivial” products, such as fashion and lifestyle items, answer a particular need or want. Perhaps your potential customer wants a fashion item…