Product Launch

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E195: Why Building for Consumers is So Difficult

Summary
In this episode, Sean talks about the differences between building for businesses and consumers. He uses his experience in building a podcast automation application to explain why building for businesses is advantageous. One of the main differences he highlights is that businesses are expecting progress, while consumers are expecting perfection. Sean believes that it’s impossible to achieve perfection, but progress can be made, and that’s what businesses are interested in.

Key Points

  • Consumers are almost always looking for perfection, which is nearly impossible to achieve.
  • There’s a tremendous variation among consumers, which makes it difficult to satisfy the masses.
  • Businesses are focused on progress, and they’re not immediately ready to dump something after trying it.
  • Once businesses find something that moves the needle, they usually stick with it because they know the implications of giving up that progress.
  • Businesses don’t expect perfection, but they place a monetary amount on the value that software can provide.
  • It’s advantageous to build around a business because you can avoid confusion in terms of who the product is for.
  • Taking consumer feedback and business feedback equally could lead to a confusing product that’s pulled in different directions.

Quotes

  • “Businesses are looking for progress. Consumers are often looking for perfection.”