The 6 Steps to Building a Winning Product

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My proven process for creating products that sell, backed by research and validation.

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In this edition, I’ll walk you through the 6-step process that I’ve used to create winning products. Whether you’re just starting out or have tried (and failed) with product creation before, these steps will guide you from idea to validated product. This process is built for solopreneurs who want to ensure their next product doesn’t just sit on the shelf, but actually sells.

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Why it’s essential:

Too many entrepreneurs jump straight into building products without proper research, only to realize later that no one wants to buy. This approach wastes time, energy, and resources. Following these 6 steps will help you avoid these common mistakes, ensuring that what you create has demand and is aligned with the market.

The common trap most people fall into…

Most solopreneurs either rush into product development without understanding their market, or they fail to validate their ideas before building. This often leads to creating something no one needs or wants. The key to success is doing the groundwork first: customer research, problem analysis, and market validation.

Step 1: Customer Research – Know Who You’re Selling To

Before you start building anything, you need to know who your ideal customer is. This step is crucial. Many entrepreneurs skip over customer research, but it’s impossible to create a product that sells if you don’t know who you’re creating it for.

Here’s what to do:

• Dive deep into your ideal customer profile.
• Understand their pain points, needs, and desires.
• Use tools like surveys or interviews to gather real data.

This research will serve as the foundation for every decision you make during the product creation process.

Step 2: Problem Analysis – Identify the Core Issue

Once you understand your customer, the next step is to clearly define the problem you’re solving for them. A successful product is always a solution to a real, specific problem. This means you need to understand the daily life, challenges, and specific pain points of your audience.

• What problems do they face that you can solve?
• How does this problem connect with your business or niche?
• Can your product genuinely make their lives easier?

Nailing down the problem will guide your product idea and make sure it’s something people will actually pay for.

Step 3: Market Research – What’s Already Out There?

Now that you’ve identified your customer and the problem they’re dealing with, it’s time to check the market. Are there already products offering a solution to this problem? If so, how are they performing?

• Look at competitors’ products.
• Analyze what’s working and what’s not.
• Find gaps where your product can offer something new or improved.

This step is critical because it helps you avoid creating something that already exists, and it ensures that your product can stand out.

Step 4: Generate Product Ideas – Solve the Problem in a Fresh Way

With your research in hand, it’s time to brainstorm. Now that you know the problem and what’s already on the market, you can focus on developing product ideas that offer a fresh, innovative solution.

• Use the insights from your customer and market research.
• Think about how your product can solve the problem better or differently than competitors.
• Create several variations of your product idea before settling on one.

This is where your creativity comes into play. Focus on simplicity, value, and differentiation.

Step 5: Product Validation – Get Feedback from Real Customers

Don’t make the mistake of building your product before validating the idea. At this stage, your goal is to get feedback from your target audience. You need to confirm that your product idea is something they would actually pay for.

• Reach out to 3-10 potential customers.
• Present your product idea and gather feedback.
• Make adjustments based on their responses.

This step is crucial. Ideally, you should already start pre-selling the product if you’ve validated the concept. It’s a great way to gauge interest and even get initial revenue before you start building.

Step 6: Build and Launch – Only After Validation

Once you have validated your product idea and received customer buy-in, it’s time to start building. This is the final step in the process, and it should only happen after you’ve confirmed that there’s demand for your product.

• Build your product based on customer feedback.
• Continue to engage with your audience as you develop it.
• Stay flexible and be open to making final tweaks based on ongoing feedback.

By the time you’re building, you should already have a list of interested customers who are ready to buy.

Conclusion:

The key to a successful product launch is following a structured process. By doing the research first—understanding your customer, analyzing their problems, validating your ideas—you minimize the risk of failure and maximize your chances of success. Remember, don’t rush into building. Validate first, build second.

Bonus Tips:

• Keep your customer at the center of every decision.
• Don’t be afraid to adjust your product based on feedback.
• Pre-sell wherever possible to ensure demand before you invest time in building.

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Until next Time on the Roots to Revenue.

Jowi Witt – The Brand Ranger

P.S. If you want to dive deeper into this product creation process, I’m offering a 1-on-1 coaching program where I guide you through each of these steps and help you build a product that will actually sell. Let’s work together to bring your ideas to life!