Part III
Build a Product Customers Will Buy
Will customers pay for the product itself?
The first product should solve one useful part of the customer problem. It does not need to replace the whole service.
Build the smallest product that provides real value, then find out whether customers will pay for it separately.
Main question
Will customers pay for the product itself?
Do not move on until
Customers are using the product, receiving value, paying for it, and getting through onboarding and support without recreating a custom project.
Tasks in this section
Open a task to see its original wording, current status, summary, and place in the complete sequence.
Find the Work Software Should Take Over
Map the repeated workflow and identify what can be automated, templatized, guided, or made self-serve.
Open taskBuild the Smallest Product Customers Can Use
Prioritize only the capabilities needed to produce a useful customer result.
Open taskGive the Product Its Own Position
Explain the product independently of the service wrapper that originally revealed the problem.
Open taskChoose a Product Pricing Model
Decide how licenses, seats, usage, implementation, access, or hybrid pricing should reflect value and cost.
Open taskBuild the Core Value Path
Create a demo, prototype, or minimum viable product that makes the central outcome visible.
Open taskRecruit Design Partners from Earned Trust
Use the strongest existing relationships to test the product with customers who understand the problem.
Open taskPut Pilot, Data, and Product Terms in Place
Define permissions, obligations, ownership, risk, and commercial boundaries before pilots begin.
Open taskMake the Product Demonstrable
Create a reliable demo narrative, collateral, frequently asked questions, and objection handling.
Open taskDesign Product Onboarding
Build the activation, education, support, and escalation path that accompanies the product.
Open taskMeasure Whether Customers Are Getting Value
Measure the actions and results that show whether customers reached the intended outcome.
Open taskSell the Pilot and Learn from the Buyer
Use pilot sales to learn about the buyer, budget, objections, implementation burden, and decision process.
Open taskConvert Learning into Paid Product Customers
Test whether customers will pay for the product rather than only participating in a design exercise.
Open taskBuild Support That Does Not Recreate Consulting
Create documentation, troubleshooting, escalation, and support boundaries that protect product leverage.
Open taskTrack Product and Service Money Separately
Show product revenue, sales opportunities, costs, and results separately from custom services.
Open taskDecision Three: Will Customers Pay for the Product?
Decide whether the product has value on its own and can be supported without recreating a custom project.
Open task