5 lessons from helping 9 startups move to outcome-driven work

Since becoming a solopreneur in 2022, the author has helped nine startups transition to more outcome-driven, product-led approaches, emphasizing the importance of focusing on niche markets and identifying an ideal customer profile (ICP) to drive initial success. The text highlights the benefits of hyperfocus on a single ICP over experimenting with multiple ones, as this approach allows for better pattern detection and learning. It stresses the critical role of leadership, particularly the CEO, in driving a shift from feature-driven to outcome-driven product management, and the importance of robust hiring practices to build empowered teams. The author also underscores the necessity of investing in high-quality data to inform decisions and avoid costly errors, while cautioning against getting lost in prolonged discovery and experimentation processes that can impede progress. Overall, the author shares insights on strategic focus, leadership, data quality, and practical experimentation to foster successful product development and company growth.