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independence3 unconnected · 1 more author in those circles
standing

contested · 3 claims against 1

applies to

b2b, no audience needed

mixed results

confidence

high

evidence

4 claims · 4 articles · 3 receipts

window

2020-05-01 → 2025-05-04

3 builders who never spoke to each other · contested

Build for the few who stayed

When almost none of the early users come back, go to the handful who did and ask what they actually wanted, then rebuild around that answer rather than pushing the original idea harder. Where the first users split into a disappointed group and an enthusiastic one, abandon the disappointed segment. The segment that is perfectly served will look far too small, and that is expected, since the people just outside it buy because the thing is useful enough.

Where this splits

Building only for the enthusiastic minority sits against the rule that every early change should help a lot of customers at least a bit, because those are the people who go on to market the product for you.

3 claims against 1

James Marlay · Jason Cohen · Luca Restagno

Build for the enthusiastic few who stayed

  1. 01If almost none of your beta users come back after a week, go and ask the handful who stayed what they actually wanted, then rebuild around that answer instead of pushing the original idea harder.
  2. 02When the first users split into a disappointed group and an enthusiastic one, abandon the disappointed segment and build for the people who are already sold.
the objection · 1 claimArvid Kahl

Every early change should help many customers slightly

Do not build for the 10 percent. Early on, every change should help a lot of customers at least a bit, because those are the people who go on to market the product for you.

  1. 03Do not flinch at how small the perfectly-urgent segment looks: for every customer at the exact centre of the target there are roughly a hundred more who buy because it is useful enough.

What it returned

  • 2013

    Livewire launched in 2013 as a social network for investors and only 17 of its first 128 beta users were still around a week later. Those users said they wanted insight from experts rather than from anyone, and the pivot led to annual revenue of $3.24M on 189% growth over three years, verified by the Financial Times.

  • 100x

    Cohen puts the multiple at 100x beyond the bullseye customer.

  • Users who wanted real time messaging were held back by API limits, so he built for the coaches, copywriters and freelancers selling through direct messages.

Sources

the second source

Three plays a week, for the phase you are in

No roundup of links, no news. Three tactics more than one builder arrived at separately, with the numbers each one returned and the disagreements left in.

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the second source

Three plays a week, for the phase you are in

No roundup of links, no news. Three tactics more than one builder arrived at separately, with the numbers each one returned and the disagreements left in.

963 corroborated plays to draw from · 3 a week

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