A Field Guide To Feedback
This is my seventh startup, and one thing has not changed: everybody has feedback.
Some of it helps. Some of it performs help. Learning the difference is still part of building.
\= Captain You-Should \= "What you should really do is..." Usually smart. Usually confident. Usually far from the actual problem I am trying to solve.
\= The 10-Page Architect \= A long memo. A full feature roadmap. Strong opinions about what the product could become. Most of the time, they are not the user. They are describing an imaginary product.
\= The Real User \= This is the signal I trust most. They tell me where the flow breaks, what they tried, and why it matters right now.
\= The Feature Tourist \= They send competitor screenshots and ask why I do not have the same thing. Sometimes useful, but only after I separate copycat noise from an actual need.
\= The Free Tier Baron \= Demanding. Abrasive. Certain that free access includes the right to be rude. Funny enough, paying users are often more constructive, not because they paid, but because they want the product to work.
Seven startups in, the lesson is still the same: collecting opinions is easy. Knowing which voices are close enough to the problem to matter is the real job.
#ProductDevelopment #Startups #UserFeedback #BuildingInPublic