POV -> Product

Why your POV should influence your product, not the other way round.

There’s a common mistake I see companies make when they try to figure out their POV. They use their product as the foundation of their thinking.

At first glance, this makes sense. The product is often the most tangible thing they have. It’s the easiest thing to define.

But unless your product is genuinely game-changing (and honestly, chances are it’s not) then basing your POV on it isn’t going to work. You’ll still end up sounding pretty much the same as everyone else in your category.

Because your starting point is the same.

The key to cutting through the noise with a unique POV is to find a different starting point.

That’s why I always advise clients to start with the pivot.

Start with the pivot.

The pivot is a change in thinking or behaviour that’s recently happened. Note the word “recently” here. Too old and it’s no longer a shift. Too new and people might not realise it yet.

You want it to be in that sweet spot where prospects are starting to notice it, but your other competitors haven’t yet taken it seriously.

For example, using Trump’s recent election win as a pivot is too soon. The ramifications haven’t been felt yet. Using the shift to cookie-less is too late, that’s been happening for years now.

What I would say, however, is that if you have to err on one side or the other, err on the side of too soon. Because even if it’s too soon to hit prospects now, when it does hit them you’ll be in pole position.

The pivot also has to be specific. Too generic and it sounds boring and inapplicable to your prospects.

A bad example would be “AI is here”. Okay. Cool? It doesn’t really mean anything in the context of your ICP. Instead, make it relevant to them. Something like, “AI means that cold outreach is mostly automated, this is bad because…” and so on.

See how being more specific to your ICP and what your product does makes that pivot more resonant?

Ultimately, if you can identify a shift that’s going to stir shit up for your prospects, and base your POV on it, then you’re onto a winner. Because nobody else is starting there.

Finish with the product.

That pivot should lead naturally into a problem that it causes, and that prospects can’t currently solve with the solutions available to them. That’s what sets you apart in a more tangible sense, and helps explain why that pivot starting point is so important.

But for today’s newsletter I want to talk about the product part. Because as I said at the start, most companies start here. The trick, however, is to finish here.

One of the biggest problems companies face with their product is knowing what to build next. It’s easy to get pulled in multiple directions. And even the most focused and determined companies fall foul of competing priority syndrome.

But what if you had a clear north star to guide your product roadmap?

Well, that’s exactly what your POV gives you.

If you do it right, you’ll have a starting point that’s different to what competitors are starting with. So you’re already one step ahead.

Then you define the problem your company exists to solve, which gives you a sense of clarity and direction that most companies lack.

Put those together and you have a recipe for product development.

Every addition and update you make to your product should be a direct reflection of your company’s POV.

It’s essentially a feature filter. Every time you consider building something, ask yourself: “Does this help us live through our POV?”.

If it does, then great! Get building!

If it doesn’t, then maybe think twice.

The lazy version.

• Basing your POV on your product won’t set you apart. Unless you have a radically different product. But you probs don’t.

• It’s better to start with the pivot. This is a shift that’s happening in your prospects’ world that results in a new problem to be solved.

• When you build your product, view it through the lens of your POV. If it’s aligned with it, go ahead. If not, then don’t. Easy.