The Overview #9
This week: B2B lifecycles, what is a bad product, and indecision
👋 Hey there. This is The Overview, a weekly roundup of noteworthy B2B SaaS stuff. You'll find interesting tweets and articles from around the internet, plus highlights from my personal swipe file.
Let me know what you think: find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.
B2B category lifecycles
Last week’s Building Momentum post looked at the B2B Elements of Value and usability - what others might call product quality - is right down at the bottom of the pyramid.
But it’s certainly a big opportunity for emerging startups to either disrupt existing legacy category leaders, or even usurp former startup darlings. There’s a quote - maybe from Keith Rabois? - that talks about how many startup opportunities arise in the triangle that exists after startups move upmarket and add more features (i.e., become more expensive and more complex).
What is a ‘bad’ product anyway?
In the same vein as above… ‘bad’ depends on the value that a customer experiences from a product. In B2B, we’ll find many horrifically designed products that are beloved by risk-averse F500s - and great, simple products that just aren’t effective enough for segments where more control and configurability is required.
This is why it’s more important to be the thing for someone, rather than something for everyone.
Decisions, indecisions, sunk costs
Maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo, but I really dislike assumptions, indecision, and excuses.
Decision making actually has three answers: to do, not do, or make no decision.
Most decisions are the latter - no decision is made. These impact culture and performance. They result in status quos that are difficult to exit and in turn lead to damaging and incorrect decisions.
In John’s image he looks at the differences between product orgs that work in a particularly innovative way vs those that work more traditionally, and calls out that it doesn’t take more effort or different skills - they’re just the results of decisions that have or haven’t been made.
Buyers focus on alternatives, not competitors
I particularly agreed with this LinkedIn post and it aligns with something I’ve written about before.
Your actual competitors are any solutions or approaches that your customers are using to achieve similar outcomes or solve a similar problem. That might be software… or it might be consultants, agencies, freelancers, homegrown code, or just people power.
How are you going to a) capture the interest of those people, and then b) educate them on why your product is better and more suited?
By understanding your value and competitive differentiators, and being niche enough in your ICP that you’re the thing for someone, not something for everyone.
That’s the Overview for this week
Hope you found some interest in this edition.
Help shape Building Momentum: let me know what you’d like to see more of. Find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Thanks for reading, and here’s to momentum.
James