Melissa K Bashur’s Post

USER EMPATHY A word that I came across a few days back but was amazed by the meaning it holds : It involves deeply understanding the needs, desires, challenges, and behaviors of your customers or users 🎯 Just creating a product isn't enough. Understanding your audience and their needs is what fuels success. 🌍 With a vast population, startups need to connect deeply with their target users to truly make an impact. 💡 Remember, we're here to solve problems, not create them. Let's build products that matter! 🌟 #StartupSuccess #EmpathyInBusiness #CustomerCentric #ProblemSolvers

Prioritize genuine customer needs over tech hype. 27 years ago, Steve Jobs famously advised, "Start with the customer experience and work backwards with technology." This insight is as relevant today as it ever was. Yet, I often see a different trend among tech developers. They seem to get caught up in tech hype, overshadowing the genuine needs of customers. Did you know? About 74% of customers base their buying decisions on their experience with a company. Three key factors shape this experience: Intuitiveness. Simplicity. User-Friendliness. From my experience in both marketing and tech development, I know the excitement of adding new features and experimenting with the latest tech. But we must ask ourselves: Is it intuitive for the customers? Is it really necessary? If you're unsure, here’s a strategy: Launch quickly. Track usability metrics. Learn and adapt. To master this approach, I highly recommend Eric Ries's book, "THE LEAN STARTUP." #digitalmarketingsecrets #digitalmarketing #MarketingStrategies #productmanagement

Don't let your startup dream fizzle! Use these simple tools to make your idea standout: Idea Canvas (https://lnkd.in/g6nNHigq): Organize and structure your business idea for better planning and communication. Persona Development (https://lnkd.in/g6nNHigq): Develop detailed buyer personas to humanize and target ideal customers, aligning marketing strategies for personalized content and improved customer engagement. Customer Value Proposition Canvas (https://lnkd.in/gGmTs5vw): Craft compelling customer-centric value propositions by analyzing customer jobs, pains, and gains, ensuring a unique market position and enhanced product/service desirability. Five Whys? (https://lnkd.in/gua2DrK8) Uncover root causes of issues by repeatedly asking "why," facilitating problem-solving and continuous improvement, enhancing organizational resilience and effectiveness. Frequency v/s Impact (https://lnkd.in/gRuPjfhX): A framework that evaluates the frequency of occurrences against the impact of their outcomes to prioritize problem statements. Google Toothbrush Test (https://lnkd.in/g2Yw2aG4): A criterion used by Google to evaluate potential projects or acquisitions based on whether a product is used daily and improves life for many. Additionally, here are some more industry best practices for you to learn more: Design Thinking (https://lnkd.in/gZydsD5x): Approach problems creatively with a focus on the user. Desirability, Feasibility, Viability (https://lnkd.in/gmyatYa9): Effectively assess the potential of your ideas before investing heavily. Primary Research vs. Secondary Research (https://lnkd.in/gyrxHnZd): Gather the right data to support your decisions, whether through your own research or existing sources. Use coupon GOTANIDEA at our Templates Shop to get your first template for free! #startupideas #customerdiscovery #mvp #ideacanvas #buyerpersona #valuepropositioncanvas #fivewhys #frequencyimpactmatrix #googletoothbrushtest #designthinking #templates #free #downloads #entrepreneurlife #startyourstartup 

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬. Discovering a competitor with more resources and a seemingly better product can be daunting, but it's not the end of the road for you. The tech world is replete with tales of underdogs who have succeeded by remaining agile, innovative, and customer-centric. Adapt, enhance, and continue progressing. •Even with fewer resources, you can carve out a niche that sets you apart. •Gather customer feedback, make data-driven decisions, and iterate rapidly. This agility can help you outmaneuver larger, slower competitors. •Develop strong relationships with your early adopters. Their feedback is invaluable for refining your product and understanding their needs better than your competitors. •Keep experimenting with new ideas and features. By staying innovative, you can introduce unique elements that competitors with more resources might overlook or be slow to adopt. #leanmethodology #competitiveanalysis #startupideas #productdevelopment #innovation #techstartup #marketing #productmarmetfit

Launching a Digital Product? Stop! Read These 3 Must-Do Steps to Validate It First or Risk Everything! So you're itching to launch your new digital product? But have you passed it through the gauntlet of validation? Don't launch blind; follow these 3 indispensable steps to save time, money, and your reputation. 1️⃣ Alpha/Beta Testing with Early Adopters Before you say, "It's too soon," let me stop you. There's never a "too soon" when it comes to testing. Gather a small, targeted group of early adopters to poke holes in your product. 2️⃣ Data-Driven Decision Making Listen, intuition is great, but data is king. Use analytics tools to understand user behaviour, bounce rates, and conversion metrics. 3️⃣ Landing Page A/B Testing Your landing page is your storefront window. Use A/B testing to find out which headlines, images, and CTAs attract customers like bees to honey. There it is—your 3-step checklist for digital product validation. These steps are the seatbelts on your startup journey. They won't make you go faster, but they'll definitely save you when the road gets bumpy. Would love to hear your validation experiences or roadblocks. Let's keep the conversation going! 🗨️

Building an MVP? Discover how a Project SOW can save your startup! ↓ Monitoring the right metrics is crucial for guiding the success of your MVP in its early stages! Here are the key ones to keep an eye on: 1. User Engagement: Measure how actively users are interacting with your MVP. Look at metrics like time spent on the platform, number of sessions per user, and frequency of usage. 2. Conversion Rate: Track how effectively your MVP converts visitors into users or customers. Monitor metrics such as sign-up rates, free trial activations, or initial purchases. 3. Retention Rate: Assess how well your MVP retains users over time. Keep an eye on metrics like churn rate, user drop-off after specific actions, and cohort analysis to understand retention trends. 4. Feedback and Satisfaction: Gather qualitative feedback from early users to understand their satisfaction levels and pain points. Use surveys, interviews, or user feedback tools to collect valuable insights. 5. Performance and Stability: Ensure your MVP is performing well and free from critical bugs or issues. Monitor metrics like page load times, error rates, and system uptime to maintain a positive user experience. 6. Market Validation: Evaluate the response of your target market to your MVP. Look for indicators of product-market fit, such as positive reviews, referrals, or early adoption by your target audience. By closely monitoring these key metrics, you can gain valuable insights into the performance and viability of your MVP, guiding future iterations and improvements. Stay tuned for more tips on navigating the early stages of product development! #MVP #Metrics #ProductDevelopment #StartupTips #UserEngagement #ConversionRate #RetentionRate #CustomerFeedback #MarketValidation #TechStartup #SolutionValley

Discovery is not user surveys!!! Discovery is such an important, yet sometimes underemphasized part of product development. ▶ It’s not enough to go through the motions ◀ I’m not even asking you to follow a framework. But I have to ask - How does one build a product for a market without understanding that market and its many components that all make up the ecosystem? ▶ Your users are important but they don’t exist in silos ◀ For instance, user research may give you insights into some feature ideas that could be life-changing for your users and even drive adoption through the roof. But pause. Why is your competition not doing that? Didn’t they talk to the same users? Or don’t they like revenue? Could it be that the opportunity cost is just not worth it? Some cost requirements render ideas DOA, yet you’ll find people “conceptualizing” and “ideating” something that can only work on paper. Or maybe even a regulatory issue. Case in point – CBN’s revised IMTO license now denies operators permission to process outbound remittances. This wasn't always the case. Both inbound and outbound remittances (with caveats) used to be allowed. ▶ I keep seeing this across different scenarios and wondering what’s missing◀ Is it a knowledge or experience issue? Are leaders no longer training new entrants properly? Is it a conditioning issue? Did we stop caring about the important things? The percentage of startup and product failure seems to be on the rise and I know we like to romanticize some of these things – “Oh, it’s the bad eggs spoiling the good ones” or “We don’t celebrate our failures enough” etc. 📌 The real question though is – are some of these failures avoidable? 𝐌𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐘𝐄𝐒! My team at ProduqtEdge (Product Studio) and I have worked closely with and advised several organisations from pressed to scaleups across industries. We've taken the time to understand key drivers for success and growth. We help our clients cross what we call 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 – ↘ 1️⃣ problem-solution fit valley, ↘ 2️⃣ product-market fit valley, and ↘ 3️⃣ growth valley My calendar is open. I’m happy to chat about how we can help you build your ideas and scale your products.

A common blind spot that many startups unknowingly stumble upon is not being users of their own product! 🙈 To truly grasp your user experience, you've got to walk the talk. And by talk, I mean sign up, engage, and be part of the journey yourself. 🔑 Here are the golden takeaways: 👀 Get in the User's Shoes: It's a must to experience your product as a user would. Sign up, navigate, and truly feel the flow. 🔍 Watch the Playbacks: User recordings are your treasure trove. Watch how real users interact with your product. It's eye-opening. 🛠️ Regular User Testing: It's not a one-time thing. Keep the user testing engine running. Understand the evolution of your user experience. 🐞 Bug Hunt: Low conversions often hide bugs. Put on your investigator hat and uncover issues that users encounter. 🔗 Stay Connected: Empathy is the key. Regularly use your product, understand its ups and downs, and grow with it. So, let's make a pact to be our product's biggest fans and toughest critics. #UserExperienceMatters #StartupAdvice #EmpathyInAction #UserTesting ---- If you're eager to make your SAAS product a massive hit, I'm here to lend a helping hand. Let's chat and book a free consultation to kickstart your journey toward success! 🚀💼

Building a successful startup starts with finding that magical fit between your product and the market. Wouldn't you like to hit the bullseye with your product? Here are four essential strategies to ensure your offering perfectly aligns with market needs: Number 3 is CRUCIAL! 🎯 Dive Deep into Customer Research: Get to know your audience inside out, and gather feedback to understand their pain points and desires. 🎯 Iterate Like There's No Tomorrow: Embrace an agile approach to development, constantly testing and refining your product based on real-world feedback. 🎯 Seek Validation from Early Adopters: Win over those adventurous early adopters who are eager to try new solutions, and learn from their experiences to fine-tune your offering. 🎯 Track Metrics Like a Pro: Define clear metrics to measure user engagement, satisfaction, and retention, giving you valuable insights into how well your product resonates with the market. How do you determine product/market fit? Let us know in the comments 👇 #productmarketfit

When I partner with new clients, the first lesson is simple 👇 👇 👇 Positioning is a process. It’s not set in stone, especially not at the beginning. You want to test, experiment, and adapt your positioning in iterations, just like you test, experiment, and adjust your product in iterations. Just launched v1.26 of your product?  ↪You should also release version v2.47 of your messaging. Why? Because early on, you are mainly working on assumptions. But every customer interaction and piece of product analytics gives you new data. 👉 This data is gold - using it, you can improve your product and your #positioning & messaging. A good product will help you convert your users. So will good positioning. Keep an eye on conversion rates, customer feedback, and how well your messaging resonates. Great products are great because they are presented in the right way. That doesn't happen overnight. It happens gradually in iterations. Iterate positioning just like you iterate your product development. When did you last check whether your messaging still holds for your product? #marketing #startups #messaging