Customer Development

Most startups don't fail because they can't build a product. Most startups fail because they can't get traction. Startup advice tends to be a lot of platitudes repackaged with new buzzwords, but Traction is something else entirely. As Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares learned from their own experiences, building a successful company is hard. For every startup that grows to the point where it can go public or be profitably acquired, hundreds of others sputter and die.

How do you develop products that people will actually use and buy? This practical guide shows you how to validate product and company ideas through customer development research - before you waste months and millions on a product or service that no one needs or wants. With a combination of open-ended interviewing and fast and flexible research techniques, you’ll learn how your prospective customers behave, the problems they need to solve, and what frustrates and delights them

The Lean Product Playbook is a practical guide to building products that customers love. Whether you work at a start-up or a large, established company, we all know that building great products is hard. Most new products fail. This book helps improve your chances of building successful products through clear, step-by-step guidance and advice.

More than two generations ago, the venture capital community convinced the entrepreneurial world that writing business plans and raising venture capital constituted the twin centerpieces of entrepreneurial endeavor. They did so for good reasons: the sometimes astonishing returns they've delivered to their investors and the astonishingly large companies that their ecosystem has created. But the vast majority of fast-growing companies never take any venture capital. So where does the money come from to start and grow their companies?

The lifeblood of your business is repeat customers. But customers can be fickle, markets shift, and competitors are ruthless. So how do you ensure a steady flow of repeat business? The secret--no matter what industry you're in--is finding and keeping automatic customers. These days virtually anything you need can be purchased through a subscription, with more convenience than ever before.

Customer Service Success, The 6 Keys To Deliver A World-Class Experience, offers you new solutions to the age-old challenges that you face in your business every day…How do you keep your customers happy so that they never leave you? How do you get your clients excited to come back to your businesses time and time again? How do you create raving fan customers that will tell all of their friends, family and colleagues that they must to do business with you? This book will answer all of these questions for you and more in a simple, easy-to-follow format that is entertaining and educational. ...

The Customer Success Manager has become a critical asset to organizations across the business landscape. As the subscription model has spread from the cloud and SaaS to more sectors of the economy, that pivotal role will only grow in importance. That's because if you want to compete and thrive in this new environment, you need to put the customer at the center of your strategy. You need to recognize you're no longer selling just a product. You're selling an outcome.  

In helping Walt Disney create “The Happiest Place on Earth”, Van France and his team started a business revolution in 1955 that eventually became the Disney University - the employee training and development program that powers one of the most famous brands on earth. Disney U examines how Van France's timeless company values and leadership expertise have turned into a training and development dynasty: the Disney U. The book reveals the heart of the Disney culture and describes the company's values and operational philosophies that support the world-famous Disney brand.

They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question, and everyone will lie to you at least a little. As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it, and it's worth doing right.

In today's dynamic and competitive business landscape, success hinges on the ability to continuously develop new opportunities and expand market reach. Business development plays a pivotal role in driving growth and ensuring long-term sustainability for organizations of all sizes. It encompasses a range of activities, from identifying and evaluating potential partnerships and acquisitions to building strong customer relationships and navigating the intricate world of negotiations. This book aims to serve as a comprehensive guide to the intricacies of business development, providing aspiring...

You know your product is awesome, but does anybody else? Forget everything you thought you knew about positioning. Successfully connecting your product with consumers isn’t a matter of following trends, comparing yourself to the competition, or trying to attract the widest customer base. So, what is it? April Dunford, positioning guru and tech executive, will enlighten you.

Are you a startup founder with a great product but no sales? Do prospective clients say your product is interesting, but no one’s buying? Collin Stewart, founder and CEO of Predictable Revenue, shares hard-earned lessons about navigating the chaos of a startup and the daunting task of finding your first customers. The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers is a straight-talking guide for founders focused on tackling the essential steps to growth in the right sequence.

Get Found is a straightforward, no-fluff guide that empowers entrepreneurs to flip the script: instead of chasing, start attracting. Learn how to use search engine optimization (SEO) not just as a technical tool, but as a trust-building strategy that makes you the obvious choice in your market. The result? A business that works for you 24/7, even when you close your laptop.

The former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World shares indispensible Rules for serving customers with consistency, efficiency, creativity, sincerity, and excellence. Lee Cockerell knows that success in business--any business--depends upon winning and keeping customers. In 39...

Unlock the Future of Business Success with AI! In The ChatGPT AI for Business Development plus Customer Service Book 2026, Carter A. Sinclair reveals the transformative potential of AI in revolutionizing the way businesses operate. This cutting-edge guide is your roadmap to integrating ChatGPT into your business workflows, enabling you to save time, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth like never before. Packed with actionable strategies, real-world case studies, and step-by-step guides, this book will teach you how to: Seamlessly integrate AI into your business framework. Deliver...

The New York Times bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick explore why certain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work. While human lives are endlessly variable, our most memorable...

What if the struggle of launching an e-commerce business—finding products, creating professional content, managing operations—is completely unnecessary in the AI era? While you're agonizing over product photography, spending days writing descriptions, wondering how to handle customer service without hiring expensive staff, and watching competitors with bigger budgets dominate your market, early adopters have discovered how to use AI to build e-commerce businesses that generate six figures annually with minimal teams and sustainable profit margins.

The foremost authority on innovation and growth presents a path-breaking book every company needs to transform innovation from a game of chance to one in which they develop products and services customers not only want to buy, but are willing to pay premium prices for. How do companies know how...

Stop Practicing "Startup Theater." Start Operating. Most entrepreneurs start with a plan, a product, and a pile of assumptions. They spend months—and thousands of dollars—polishing a strategy for a market that hasn’t yet spoken. In the high-stakes world of new ventures, this is the most common path to failure. In Customer Zero, Michael Wells introduces a simple but rigorous sequencing discipline that reorders the entire entrepreneurial process. The Business Plan is Not the Beginning This isn't a book about "hacking" sales or "faking it 'til you make it." It is a roadmap for the most ...

Let’s face it. Today’s users are impulsive and easily distracted. They don’t have the time (or patience) to try and figure things out by themselves. They expect the product to be intuitive, easy, and fast. What’s more, they want more than they paid (or didn’t pay) for, and they want it now.