I've been product manager and designer of dataServe, our AI enabled virtual agent, integration engine and automation builder now for a few years (and it's been a blast!).
Here are some things I've learned along the way and my 5 tips on how to build and grow a successful SaaS product!
- Listen to and value your customers' ideas! 💡
At least 50% of dataServe features have been built to fulfil specific customer needs. No matter how many design meetings I hold, no matter how many nights I lie awake thinking about new features, there will always be a customer that comes up with a great idea that I've never thought about!
- Start with the basics 🧱
I know it sounds obvious, but don't build the big stuff first. Imagine you've got 3 requirements, A and B (which are easy) and C (which is complicated). Many times I've found that C can actually be achieved by combining A and B. So getting the basic building blocks in first means you save time by not having to code the complex stuff.
- Get cold, hard facts about what the customer will gain by using your software 📊
Buzz words are fine, but if you're spending good money on a SaaS product, you need to know what you're going to gain from it. For example: "With dataServe you can reduce ticket numbers by half, saving 5 FTEs annually and cutting average resolution time of tickets by 30%". We even built a ROI calculator to help customers work out if dataServe can work for them without needing to speak to anyone:
- Customers don't just buy your product 😀
They partner with people they like and trust. It's not enough to just have a good product, you need an excellent team of consultants that'll put the hard work in to implement the product and support the customer. I've been lucky to work with some of the best developers and consultants I think I'll ever meet!
- Create a brand, not just software
A striking brand and logo will help you to stand out in a crowded market. I'm a fan of purple. so guess what our brand and website theme is?
I hope this has given you some ideas if you're embarking on your next software venture! And if you're interested in learning more about dataServe and what it can do for your organisation, book me in for a tailored demo. You can also try it out for 30 days for free!
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