What Customers Say vs. What They Buy with Rob Snyder

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. 

 

My guest today is Rob Snyder. He's a serial entrepreneur, Harvard Innovation Labs fellow, former McKinsey consultant, investor and author of The Power of Pull. Rob has spent years studying why some ideas seem to get pulled into the market while other seemingly great products have to be pushed every step of the way. And his argument challenges some pretty fundamental assumptions about customers, product market fit, and even how we think about demand itself. I'm excited to have him on the show!

 

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…founders, product leaders, and marketers who want to understand what customers will actually buy and build products that generate real demand.

 

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…customers may say they like your idea, but that doesn't mean they'll pay for it. Rob explains why companies need to look beyond surveys and focus groups to understand what customers are actually trying to do, where their current options fall short, and what they're willing to buy. 

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Customer interest isn't the same as demand. Look for evidence that people are willing to buy.

• The strongest opportunities come from understanding what customers are trying to do that their existing tools can't help them accomplish.

• Sales should be a learning engine, not just a function responsible for convincing people to buy.

• Product-market fit often emerges through listening, observing, and adjusting what you bring to market.

• Leaders need to get closer to real customer conversations and use what they hear to challenge assumptions and guide product decisions.

 

WHAT I LOVE MOST…you don't find product-market fit by convincing people to want what you've built. You find it by understanding what they already want to do and building something that helps them do it.

 

Running Time: 26:04

 

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Find Rob Online:

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Rob's Book: The Power of Pull: What You Need to Know About Customer Demand to Build a Successful Startup