Continuing with the post Assessing Product/Market Fit, there’s a related point that the first 10 customers of a startup often have a bumpy ride. As part of assessing product/market fit, if numerous customer requests and product issues are signs that product/market fit isn’t in place yet, it follows that it’s common for early customers to have problems as product/market fit is so hard to attain.
Here are a few thoughts on the challenges of the initial customer experience:
- Work to be overly accessible and available as customer feedback and quick resolution of issues are critical
- Know that problems and bugs are common as it’s nearly impossible to test every use case (it’s more important to move fast and iterate than try and be perfect)
- Understand how the customer interacts with the app using a product like FullStory or Hotjar
- Proactively reach out to the customer on a regular basis (e.g. weekly), eventually using a cadence system like SalesLoft or Trustfuel
The first batch of customers almost always have a bumpy ride. Entrepreneurs should recognize that this is normal and work hard to still provide the best experience possible.
What else? What are some more thoughts initial customers having a bumpy ride?
David Cummings on Startups 