Bring your customers what they want

80% of classic product work is about shortening the distance between your customer and their desired outcome. But it is 100% of growth product work.  

Ask yourself this question‍

What do our customers want to achieve that is hard for them to do? What part of your product immediately comes to mind for you? Dig into that product area to validate your assumptions about what they want, and to figure out what exactly is blocking them. 

Dos and Donts of PLG

Do 👍

Run a usability test to see and hear from your customers directly; this will help you understand your funnel conversion and product usage data in terms of the user experience. Watching someone try to use your product explains a lot of the Why behind What you are seeing in your funnel. 

If nothing comes to mind, start at the very beginning: Your account creation/”sign up” funnel should have a 90%+ conversion rate, as measured from the `Sign up` CTA on your marketing website. 

Remember to record a video of these sessions: seeing is believing. A video or three of hopelessly lost users will motivate stakeholders. 

Don’t 🚫

Run a survey. People who (rightly) value data will sometimes (wrongly) ask for surveys because surveys feel quantitative, but they are not. Very few topics are a good match for a survey, and all survey requests should be treated skeptically.

Shorten the path

Understanding your customer's journey and shortening the path to their desired outcome is the essence of both classic and growth product work. It's not just about creating a product; it's about evolving it in alignment with the user's needs and pain points. Dive deep, question assumptions, and never lose sight of the real person who is your customer.