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Customers care about the value they get from a product

Customers don’t care about a product’s technology.

They are not interested in which API is called or how digital a company is.

What do they care about? 🤔

💡They care about what’s in it for them.

💡They care that the product solves their problem or addresses their needs and provides benefits.

Here are some common benefits:

1. Convenience – Customers want to save time and for things to be made easier.

2. Peace of mind – Customers want to feel safe and protected.

3. Quality – Customers want a certain standard and degree of excellence.

4. Productivity – Customers want to get more done.

5. Usability – Customers want an intuitive design and experience.

💡 These days, customers have a voice and a choice.

💡They care about the value they’ll derive from a product.

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What else do you see customers value?

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Focus on the customers’ problems

Where should product managers focus?

On understanding the customer’s problem.

Why?

This uncovers what the problem truly is.

It also surfaces what the problem is not and dispels assumptions.

The outcome?

Context and clarity to brainstorm solutions.

And land on the best solution to provide value to customers.

What differences do you see when PMs take the time to understand the problem vs. when they don’t?

Read more here in this Forbes article.

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What do you think? I would love to hear below.

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Black Inventors and their Products: The Roundup

February is over but Black History Month awareness continues.

I shared stories of black inventors and their contributions to our lives with products we’ve come to know and love. 

I learned the timelessness of understanding customers’ problems and needs. Some of the products were invented over 100 years ago and are still relevant today.

In case you missed the stories, here is a rewind and roundup:

Marie Van Brittan Brown and the Home Security System

Alice H. Parker and the Heating Furnace

James E. West and the Foil Electret Microphone

Lewis H. Latimer and the Carbon Light Bulb Filament

Sarah E. Goode and the Folding Cabinet Bed

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What did you learn from the series? Let me know in the comments below!

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Black Inventors and their Products: Sarah E. Goode and the Folding Cabinet Bed

This Black History Month, I’m sharing stories of black inventors and their contributions to our lives with products we’ve come to know and love. Follow to learn about other black inventors and their products throughout the month!

Have you ever lived in tight quarters where you have to use your limited space efficiently? Maybe in New York City or another location where every square foot counts. Solutions for this could include furniture that serve multiple purposes.

I learned an African-American woman, who was born into slavery then moved to Chicago once freed after the Civil War, invented a bed as a solution. The bed could be folded up to serve as a roll-top desk with room for storage. This was the precursor to the Murphy Bed.

The Inventor: Sarah E. Goode
An African American woman, Sarah E. Goode invented a bed to make small apartments more livable.

The Product: Folding Cabinet Bed
U.S. Patent No. 322,177: Cabinet Bed (1885). Goode was the second known African-American woman to receive a United States patent.

The Pain Point
Goode owned a furniture store and heard complaints from customers who couldn’t fit furniture in their small spaces, including a bed.

The Solution
Goode’s husband Archie was a carpenter and she came up with the folding cabinet bed as a solution to maximize small spaces.

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Do you own a Murphy Bed? Have you ever used one? Let me know below!

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