I tried to launch a specific product concept not once, not twice, but three times. It was a diversification of our core product, aimed at an adjacent customer segment.
The first time, we assumed that customers in this new segment faced similar challenges or at least had comparable needs. Fortunately, we discovered early on that this assumption did not hold. The need existed, but it was less urgent, and willingness to pay was lower. The concept never passed the commercial viability check, so we did not proceed.
Over time, the need persisted and the audience remained tempting, so we revisited the idea. This time, the need was confirmed, willingness to pay was there, and we had a technical solution. But we struggled to activate the Sales team and the channel to find early customers willing to co-develop. Despite being adjacent, the customer dynamics and access to decision makers were more complex than expected. Again, commercial viability fell short and we stopped the project.
Then Sales came back. The market had shifted, the need was more visible, and decision makers started reaching out. We built a Minimum Viable Product to test the waters. But adoption did not follow. The target audience preferred working with an API over a dedicated User Interface. Technically that was feasible, but by then the willingness to pay had dropped again, so we stopped the project once more.
Some products never make it to market. But each attempt leaves behind lessons that shape the next one.
Part of the DNA Insights woven through the book The DNA of a Product Manager.
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