Considering both customer and business value in product decisions

Creating new features in a customer-centric company should primarily aim to deliver value to the target customer, rather than just keeping developers occupied or impressing stakeholders. The process involves understanding common customer outcomes such as "aha," "eureka," and "habit" moments, which are crucial in evaluating whether users are finding value in a product. Metrics like sign-ups, account setups, and continued usage are essential indicators of these moments and can guide product improvement. It's important to personalize the user experience and use onboarding surveys to understand customer goals, which can help tailor the user journey and enhance the discovery of product value. However, not all friction is detrimental, as it can sometimes lead to better customer understanding and retention. Moving customer value metrics involves a blend of qualitative insights, customer interviews, and data analysis to ensure the product meets user needs effectively. Ex-ante experimentation and ex-post product analytics are critical to validating new features and ensuring they contribute positively to customer value metrics. Ultimately, understanding and aligning on customer value metrics across the organization can drive focus and alignment in product development, helping teams make informed decisions about necessary product and design changes.