Brian de Haaff's Blog, page 28

The 3 Signs of Product Love

Do you believe in love at first sight? Some people quickly answer this question with “yes.” But ask if they can pinpoint the very moment their affections blossomed and you usually get a vague reply. Something like, “We met in college at a mutual friend’s party.” That is because most love grows over time — there is no one magical moment.

Product and company builders know this to be true. There may be an initial feeling of infatuation for customers with a new product. But it takes work and ded...

7 Components of Your Complete Product Experience

“What is your product, really?” If you work for a technology company, you might think of it as the item you directly sell, the software that you ship, or the basic service you provide. But this is only part of the answer. Your product is actually the complete experience and relationship you and your customers share.

At Aha!, this is what we named the Complete Product Experience (CPE). I write extensively about this concept and building products in Lovability — the #1 Amazon bestselling book....

The 10 Building Blocks of Lovability

Rave reviews are unusual. For good reason. This kind of adulation is only reserved for the truly outstanding. Even artists who refine their craft for years may not be recognized for their genius during their lifetime — if ever. Product builders can find a lesson here. Complaints come fast and easy. Adoration, not so much.

Customer love is only something that you can build over time. And no matter what you are building it does not come easy.

As I explain in my new book Lovability — which is a...

How Product Managers Should Not Build a Product

You want to build something great. We all do. And we hope that customers will love our products as much as we do. But too many people cut corners simply because it takes hard work to earn that desired love. And when the shortcuts lead to a focus on product hype and bolstering company valuation rather than serving adoring customers, it can spell big trouble.

This is not only a problem for startups. Even well-established businesses can get caught in common growth-at-all-cost and hype traps whe...

Just Launched! — Lovability the Book

I hope that you do not hold it against me. But I love my job. And I think you should too. This is why I spent the last year writing words of happiness — words of love. I wrote them for me and you. Roughly 64,000 words laid out over 236 pages in a book. It is called Lovability. It launched today and I am humbled that it is already an Amazon bestseller.

If you are interested in building a product or company that people love, you will find value in the pages of Lovability. But I must make anoth...

Your Boss Will Love This

Why do some people work so much harder than others? Some might say they do it because of martyrdom or the pursuit of accolades. But my experience has shown that those who do more than expected simply love the job and want to contribute to the team’s success.

However, that is not the whole story. Significant effort is often modeled by company leaders. These are the people who recognize effort in others as well.

I see this kind of devotion as evidence of a lovable company, in which everyone is...

Love vs. Despise: A Tale of Two Companies

It was the best of companies, it was the worst of companies. One built something that the people loved. It poured energy into delighting customers. Eventually, it was rewarded with a great fortune. The second company disregarded people. This company was mischievous and greedy. While it succeeded in the short-term, customers and employees eventually revolted. The company lost trust, along with its great fortune.

This is not a story from a grandiose Victorian novel. It is a real-life tale abou...

The Best Cover Letters That CEOs Love to Read

You are probably familiar with the “elevator pitch.” You know, the one-minute speech every seasoned salesperson has memorized to deliver at a moment’s notice. It may be a cliche, but like all cliches, it is rooted in some truth. And it could help you get hired.

Let me explain. The next time you craft a cover letter or intro email to a hiring manager or a CEO ask yourself, “What is my elevator pitch? What would I say if I had one minute to land the job?”

You would not waste time talking abou...

What Products Do You Love?

Have you ever said “I love you” … to software? Maybe once or twice. One product that has earned my heartfelt devotion is the Strava cycling app. I use it on my morning rides to record my speed and routes. This real-time data provides a history of where I rode, with whom, and how fast (or slow) I went. Today’s ride: 25.2 miles at an average of 19.4 mph. Not too bad. 

I love it because it quantifies something that is hard to track — all from my iPhone which I carry with me in my jersey pocket....

It Is Time for the Minimum Lovable Product

Would you ever eat a can of cat food? Under the right conditions, perhaps. On a dare or if you were hungry enough with nothing else to reach for. But cat food is created with felines in mind. For most humans, it would undoubtedly be edible, but nauseating. And you would probably not be inspired to crack open another can anytime soon.

This is how I have always thought about the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — highly unsatisfying and unlikely to earn loyalty from humans. And it is exactly how...