Design thinking is an iterative process that involves picturing an end goal or “big picture” and then back-tracking steps to get to the desired outcome. Being empathetic to a customer’s needs is the best way to secure a successful business, product, or service. By focusing on the customer’s needs, the rest of the business plan can fall into place.
Creating customer profiles for “ideal customers” is a great way to highlight a targeted audience so the team understands what end goals are in sight.
Demographics to discuss:
– What age range is your service marketed towards?
– What interests would your ideal customer have?
– What educational background is your product geared towards?
Being empathetic to a customer’s needs and wants is better for scaling in the long run. We get it. It’s hard to keep money off the mind when you’re building a startup. Trying to scale a business is difficult and sometimes tracking every dollar and cent feels like the best way to spend time.
Focusing on the money will either draw attention to the negative aspects of funding or in the long run, you will produce more money. Prioritizing customer satisfaction, however, is vital to the growth of a business.
As the most recent Flight School video notes, a huge shift happens when empathetic design thinking is applied to a business strategy. Instead of maintaining the next thing, then the next thing, and whatever happens after that – a satisfied customer is at the forefront of all decisions.
Once you first focus on impact and execute the right strategies, the rest sorts itself out and the results produce that impact.
