171: Choosing Features and Validating Your Invention

Product Startup · 13 Apr 2023 · 18m

What this episode covers

Tony Ulwick, CEO of Strategyn, explains how hardware startups can avoid feature creep by defining markets through the 'jobs to be done' framework rather than product features. He details how to identify 'desired outcome statements'—measurable metrics like speed, predictability, and result quality—to prioritize features that address the most unmet customer needs. Ulwick notes that improving a key outcome by just 15% is often sufficient to drive significant adoption, validating this approach through short-run manufacturing and customer feedback loops.

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