building must-have products: expert guide

We talk about measuring a must-have product, but it’s also important to know how to build one.

Ashley Friedlein is experienced in building products for both b2b subscriptions and SaaS. This experience puts Ashley in a useful position to provide a framework for building, and maintaining, a must-have product. Ashley shares his guide here:

1. Embed a SaaS-mindset  

“In my experience most b2b subscription businesses work on an annual cycle, and frankly, that might make you a little bit lazy. Imagine you have to justify, or re-justify that subscription or membership every month. Then how would that change how you behave?”

Companies should be:

• Thinking monthly – what value are you delivering right now?
• Developing SaaS metrics – what is your CAC/LTV ratio?
• Obsessing about time to value – how strong is your onboarding?

2. Focus on the customer

“Customer success used to be just about churn, but now it’s becoming a growth engine, or should be a growth engine, for all kinds of b2b businesses including subs and media.”

Companies should be:

• Evolving customer success – from a function to a company wide philosophy
• Adopting product management – putting must-have product at the intersection of business, customer, and technology
• Using modern marketing as the champion of the customer  – see the 3M framework here

3. Be clear about purpose 

“Being clear on your purpose helps create a better product, because your Why and your Purpose is super powerful, it helps recruit good customers and people, and informs and aligns the whole business around making a must have product and experience.”

Companies should be:

• Ensuring the vision / mission is compelling
• Living by their values 
• Putting purpose at the heart of the business