Recently, I had the honor of attending a keynote by Marty Cagan, the author of "Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love." His words left a profound impact on me, prompting me to read his book and dive deeper into the world of product development. 

It’s no news that at Exxelio, we truly believe in the whole process of offering guidance and orientation. Thus, I decided to share the invaluable insights I gained from the book. Hence, here are my takeaways:

The Importance of Product Development

When discussing product development, we refer to creating new products or improving existing ones. And this process should be in response to customers' needs or market trends. 

As Cagan puts it, "Product is the heart of any technology-powered business." 

And it is very easy to understand his position. Creating products that customers love leads to long-term success and loyalty. 

Naturally, this is easier said than done. But it’s not impossible. The best way for startups to succeed is to focus on understanding and solving users' problems. And that means quantitive surveys and assuming situations are a thing of the past. 

So, how should organizations approach this situation?

The Four Key Phases of Product Development Life Cycle

Cagan's book delves into the four essential stages of the product development life cycle: discovery, validation, creation, and scaling.

Discovery

The discovery phase is all about understanding customers and identifying their needs. As Cagan explains, "The primary responsibility of the product manager is to discover a product that is valuable, usable, and feasible." 

He recommends using customer interviews, observations, and data analysis techniques to gather insights into customer behavior and preferences.

"Discovery is the process we use to decide which products and features to build."

And we couldn’t agree more. You simply can't understand what triggers your ICPs without rolling out your sleeves and getting intimate with them. In other words, without taking the time and talking with your ICPs, you can’t build the features they look for in a product. 

And asking people their opinion after you have already invested in a product that no one wants kind of beats the purpose of having a successful startup. 

Validation

But communicating with your ICPs should not stop once you discover an issue your product can solve. Once you've identified a potential product, it's crucial to validate whether it will resonate with customers. 

Cagan stresses the importance of testing and refining ideas before committing to full-scale development. He states, "The best teams have a strong culture of experimentation and continuous learning."

And the best way to do so is again to talk with your customers or potential customers and give them the freedom to speak out loud about your product and how they perceive it.

Creation

The creation phase involves designing, building, and launching the product. Cagan emphasizes the importance of collaboration between product managers, designers, and engineers to ensure a smooth process. 

“The goal of the creation process is to build a high-quality product or feature that meets the needs of the user and the objectives of the business."

And once again, we couldn’t agree more with his position. For a product to be successful, every party involved in its creation needs to closely collaborate with each other.

Scaling

But what happens when the startup proves its success and needs to move on the organizational ladder? Once a product has proven successful, it's time to scale and grow the business. 

Cagan explains that this stage involves expanding the product to new markets, enhancing features, and optimizing operations to support growth. He adds, "Scaling is the stage where the company must transition from a culture of innovation to a culture of execution."

And how do you scale? You again turn your attention to your customer and make sure that whatever direction you intend to grow your business is aligned with their wants and needs.  

This being said

I want to turn to you, the founder behind your startup. How you decide to run and grow your business is totally up to you. The reason why I brought this topic up is because, at Exxelio, we firmly believe that finding the correct guidance and orientation is essential for each startup. Therefore, yes, the insights and principles presented by Marty Cagan in his book align perfectly with our vision. By adopting a customer-centric approach and following a well-structured product development life cycle, startups can ensure they are on the right track to building products customers love. Moreover, having the right mentorship and guidance can make a significant difference in navigating product development challenges, ultimately leading to a successful and sustainable business.

And last but not least, at Exxelio, we truly believe you cannot create good products without talking to the end users from the very beginning. And that means before you even have an MVP. Because in the end, doing qualitative research from the moment you have an idea will not only help you build something great, but it will also save lots of time and money.