The Product Market Fit Dilemma: When to Lead and When to Listen
When developing a new product, finding the right market fit is essential. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking your idea is perfect without thoroughly testing it with real customers. But direct contact with those customers—and listening to what they truly need—can make the difference between success and failure. As Steve Jobs once said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” However, just showing them isn’t enough—you also need to hear what they say in response. The Temptation to Ignore the Voice of the Customer When I was running a SaaS startup in real estate, we aimed to develop a new market analysis tool for real estate agents. We were excited—we thought we had conceptualized a user interface that was groundbreaking. It was sleek, modern, and intuitive, drawing inspiration from popular eCommerce and property search platforms. We believed the industry would embrace this innovation. But when we showed it to experienced real estate agents, the feedback was...