Avi Siegel’s Post

Unpopular opinion: We are too focused on OKRs in B2B. Here is the thing, I love OKRs. Love numbers, love Growth, love frameworks. But every time I use OKRs I can see how my teams become too focused on the outcome. Well…we can’t really control outcomes. Here is an example: Let’s say the KR is about growing weekly sign ups from 500 to 1,000. What if one week it’s 600 and the next back to 550? (Because there was a holiday) We will spend hours Monday morning figuring out what led to the decrease and even worse we may prematurely change initiatives. Here is the actual thing: We can’t control the outcome but we can control the process. We can control writing one blog post per week, running 2 experiments per week, run one survey per week… The process takes time and is hard. It requires discipline. The first experiment is rarely successful. But I want you to not think much about it. Keep running 2 experiments per week in the onboarding funnel and in a quarter you will have increased your Activation rate! OKRs have their place. They are great directionally. They help us stay focused. But I’d rather be obsessed with the process. Let’s grow!

The Only True Metric for Product-Market Fit? I’ve been fortunate to build, scale, and launch products across various markets and industries over the years, and one lesson stands out: The only true measure of Product-Market Fit (PMF) is retention. Many product leaders and founders get caught up in vanity metrics—user acquisition, downloads, even early-stage revenue. While these are exciting to see and can create buzz, they don’t tell you whether your product has truly resonated with your market. The real question is: Are your users coming back? When users consistently return to engage with your product, you know you’ve built something valuable. Retention is the ultimate signal that you’ve hit PMF because it reflects: 1. User Satisfaction: Happy users become loyal users. They not only return but also advocate for your product. Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful growth engines, driven by satisfied customers. 2. Value Creation: A product that genuinely solves a problem and fits seamlessly into users’ lives will see repeat engagement. Retention metrics are your compass to understanding whether you're adding that crucial value. 3. Sustainable Growth: Anyone can run a high-cost acquisition campaign to boost sign-ups. But can you keep those users engaged over time? Consistent retention is a key indicator of sustainable growth. 4. Product Iteration: A deep dive into retention data can reveal friction points and opportunities for enhancement. This is where your growth loops and flywheels are built, turning insights into powerful product improvements. Some Practical Takeaway for Product Managers and Leaders: - Prioritize cohort analysis and user engagement metrics over top-line growth. - Focus on delivering continuous value. What’s keeping your users coming back? Double down on that. - If you’re seeing retention drop-off, treat it as a signal to refine your product experience, positioning, or features. At the end of the day, if users don’t stick around, it doesn’t matter how many you acquire. Retention isn’t just a metric. It’s the heartbeat of your product.

☝️ How Listening to Your Customers Can Transform the Way You Build Products . . Many SAAS and E-commerce founders assume they know their audience like the back of their hand. They believe they can predict what their customers want. And so they dive headfirst into developing their product. Only to be met with a harsh reality. The product flops. It didn’t sell. Their audience doesn’t care about their product at all. Sure, they might get lucky that their product sells. But that’s a terrible way to run a business. Their success is basically one big gamble. If they want to gamble, they might as well play the lottery instead. You see. When you assume you know your audience without actually listening to them… …you’re playing a dangerous game. You might waste months—and thousands of dollars—creating something nobody wants. Worse, you might not get any funding from investors because they see a product that doesn’t connect with the market. That’s why we always tell our clients to listen to their customers. Your customers are basically giving you hints of what they want to buy. If you can provide them with what they want… …then your product suddenly becomes a no-brainer. That’s why you must do these 3 things when developing your product idea. ➡️ Talk to your customers before you start building. Understand their pains, needs, and desires, and create a product that solves their problems and meets their needs. ➡️ Validate your ideas by getting real feedback. Don’t just rely on assumptions. ➡️ Adapt your product based on what you learn from them. Tweak and refine your product to ensure it meets their needs. To sum it all up. Stop guessing, start listening. Your audience holds the key to your next breakthrough product. Listen to them, and you’ll build something that doesn’t just sell—but sells out. --- 📙 Want to learn more? Download our Playbook - Comment “ODD” ♻️ Found this post helpful? Share this post with your network or save it.

🚀 Unlock the Secret to Customer-Centric Success with the Value Proposition Canvas! The Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) is more than just a tool—it’s a game-changer for businesses aiming to create products and services that resonate deeply with their audience. 🎯 Why it Matters: • Understand your customers’ jobs, pains, and gains. • Design solutions that align with their expectations. • Achieve the elusive problem-solution fit and stand out in competitive markets. 💡 Examples in Action: • Netflix eliminated the pain of late fees with on-demand streaming. • Slack pivoted its value proposition to meet the needs of modern workplaces. • Airbnb transformed trust barriers into gain-creating community experiences. 👉 Whether you’re a startup looking to achieve product-market fit or an established company refining your strategy, the VPC is your roadmap to success. 💬 How are you aligning your business offerings with your customers’ needs? Let’s discuss! #ValuePropositionCanvas #BusinessStrategy #CustomerCentricity #Innovation #Growth https://lnkd.in/dRmgHzwd

🚀 Unlock the Secret to Customer-Centric Success with the Value Proposition Canvas! The Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) is more than just a tool—it’s a game-changer for businesses aiming to create products and services that resonate deeply with their audience. 🎯 Why it Matters: • Understand your customers’ jobs, pains, and gains. • Design solutions that align with their expectations. • Achieve the elusive problem-solution fit and stand out in competitive markets. 💡 Examples in Action: • Netflix eliminated the pain of late fees with on-demand streaming. • Slack pivoted its value proposition to meet the needs of modern workplaces. • Airbnb transformed trust barriers into gain-creating community experiences. 👉 Whether you’re a startup looking to achieve product-market fit or an established company refining your strategy, the VPC is your roadmap to success. 💬 How are you aligning your business offerings with your customers’ needs? Let’s discuss! #ValuePropositionCanvas #BusinessStrategy #CustomerCentricity #Innovation #Growth https://lnkd.in/dMBmfWj5

Your app’s biggest risk isn’t losing acquired users—it’s your teams losing focus 🤧 User retention is often a leaky bucket & a silent killer for growth—it’s everyone’s responsibility but no one’s focus. Product, Tech, Marketing, and Revenue teams must work together to move the needle. Yet, in most organisations, blurred boundaries create chaos. Teams don’t see their individual impact, there is very little incentive to step outside their silos, do more and receive a divided share of appreciation. What happens actually? Endless finger pointing, blame-game, the ball gets dropped, and retention metrics stall. The fix? A dedicated partner team—a cross-functional “task force” with expertise in product, marketing, tech, and business. Their sole mission: own retention, deliver results, and free core teams to double down on their priorities. Who’s taking charge of retention at your company? Or are you still waiting for teams to figure it out? If you are looking for solution to this problem, and looking for a partner team, Kindly comment "Connect" or DM #retention #growth #product #businessproblems

☝️ How Listening to Your Customers Can Transform the Way You Build Products . . Many SAAS and E-commerce founders assume they know their audience like the back of their hand. They believe they can predict what their customers want. And so they dive headfirst into developing their product. Only to be met with a harsh reality. The product flops. It didn’t sell. Their audience doesn’t care about their product at all. Sure, they might get lucky that their product sells. But that’s a terrible way to run a business. Their success is basically one big gamble. If they want to gamble, they might as well play the lottery instead. You see. When you assume you know your audience without actually listening to them… …you’re playing a dangerous game. You might waste months—and thousands of dollars—creating something nobody wants. Worse, you might not get any funding from investors because they see a product that doesn’t connect with the market. That’s why we always tell our clients to listen to their customers. Your customers are basically giving you hints of what they want to buy. If you can provide them with what they want… …then your product suddenly becomes a no-brainer. That’s why you must do these 3 things when developing your product idea. ➡️ Talk to your customers before you start building. Understand their pains, needs, and desires, and create a product that solves their problems and meets their needs. ➡️ Validate your ideas by getting real feedback. Don’t just rely on assumptions. ➡️ Adapt your product based on what you learn from them. Tweak and refine your product to ensure it meets their needs. To sum it all up. Stop guessing, start listening. Your audience holds the key to your next breakthrough product. Listen to them, and you’ll build something that doesn’t just sell—but sells out. --- 📙 Want to learn more? Download our Playbook - Comment “ODD” ♻️ Found this post helpful? Share this post with your network or save it.

Ever wondered how tech giants achieve rapid growth and stay resilient? Unlocking Growth & Learning from Failure: A Complete Metrics Playbook. Their secret lies in balancing a North Star Metric (NSM) with key Failure Metrics. Here’s how both can guide you to sustained success: What is a North Star Metric? Your NSM is the one metric that captures the core value your product delivers to customers. It aligns teams and ensures every effort enhances that core value. Examples from Industry Leaders: • Facebook: Monthly Active Users (MAU) • Airbnb: Nights Booked • Spotify: Time Spent Listening • Slack: Daily Active Users (DAU) Each of these metrics reflects the company’s unique value proposition, driving growth with focus. Why Track Failure Metrics Too? While your NSM drives growth, Failure Metrics help pinpoint areas for improvement. These metrics highlight potential pitfalls and ensure you’re equipped to adapt quickly. Key Failure Metrics to Watch: • Churn Rate: Are users leaving? High churn can be a red flag for customer satisfaction. • Time to Resolve Bugs: How quickly do you address critical issues? Delays impact user trust. • Bounce Rate: Are visitors leaving too soon? This could signal misalignment with user needs. • Support Volume: Is customer support overwhelmed? Could indicate friction in the user experience. Balancing growth metrics with failure insights helps create a resilient product that continually adapts and improves. A Quick Repository of Resources to Start Tracking Metrics: Metric-Driven Product Management Books: • “Lean Analytics” by Alistair Croll and Benjamin Yoskovitz • “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr Tools for Tracking Key Metrics: • Google Analytics: Ideal for engagement and bounce rate tracking • Mixpanel: Powerful for event-based tracking like DAU and churn • Looker: Great for advanced data analytics and custom metric dashboards Frameworks to Set Up Your Metrics: • AARRR Framework (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue) for growth • HEART Framework by Google (Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success) to track user satisfaction and health By combining a North Star Metric with key Failure Metrics and leveraging the right tools and frameworks, you’re ready to build a data-driven roadmap for sustainable growth. What’s your North Star Metric, and what resources do you rely on? Let’s share in the comments! Pdf credits: Anonymous Creator #GrowthStrategy #ProductManagement #CustomerSuccess #MetricsRepository

Key Questions to Ask When Building a SaaS Business Strategy: 1. What is the long-term vision for my product? Define the future impact and growth you aim to achieve in the SaaS space. 2. What measurable goals should I set to achieve this vision? Focus on goals like MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue), churn rate, and customer acquisition. 3. Who are my main competitors in the SaaS market, and what features or strategies are they excelling at? Analyze their product features, pricing models, and customer retention tactics. 4. What gaps or unmet needs exist in the market that I can leverage? Identify underserved niches, user pain points, or untapped innovations. 5. What tactical steps do I need to take to scale my product? Consider actions like improving onboarding, expanding integrations, or refining the product roadmap. 6. Who on my team is responsible for each step in executing the growth plan? Assign roles such as product management, sales, and customer support ownership. 7. What specific resources (tools, funding, partnerships) are required to implement my strategy? Identify technology stacks, cloud resources, or external investments needed. 8. Which key metrics (KPIs) will I track to evaluate progress? Prioritize tracking metrics like LTV, CAC, and ARPU. 9. Am I prepared to pivot or refine my strategy if market conditions, customer feedback, or tech trends shift? Build flexibility into your plan to respond to changes in the ecosystem. 10. How will I effectively market and promote my product to attract and retain customers? Consider strategies such as content marketing, SEO, paid advertising, and social media engagement to build brand awareness and customer loyalty. #SaaSStrategy #SaaSBusiness #SaaSGoals #SaaSFounders #StartupStrategy #BusinessGrowth #CustomerAcquisition #ProductMarketFit #BusinessPlanning #GrowthHacking #SaaSLeadership #SaaSSuccess #EntrepreneurTips #BusinessCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #ScaleUp #ScalingBusiness

Executives today are looking to product teams for answers when making business decisions. The rise of product-led growth (PLG) has put product teams at the center of revenue strategy. As a result, product teams are experiencing massive organizational change as layers are added to expand and support the new PLG mission - layers like product operations departments that work to enable efficiency and align the whole team with feedback from customers. With all this change though, many product professionals feel like they are not equipped with the right tools to do their job - and all the new jobs they are expected to do. Text analytics platforms offer a path for product professionals to gain a better understanding of customer feedback and validate the decisions they make under these evolving circumstances. Read more about what's happening within product teams today and how text analytics can provide impactful insights: https://lnkd.in/egvcQT9k #productmanagement #productoperations #textanalytics #productfeedback #productledgrowth