How do you approach validation when the users of your product and the customers are different?
For context, I’m building a social impact start up focused on an acute problem for low-income families. We have piloted the product with no code tools and have had 20 users plus 80+ waitlist sign ups in a few weeks.
However, our customers will be businesses that benefit from the increase spend of these families at their stores. How would you go about validating the business model when you know the users want it, but not sure for customers? For early sales conversations, do you always show a prototype? Or do you just verbally pitch the product and get feedback on willingness to pay?
When validating your business model with businesses, first understand what they want, like more sales or a better brand image. Then, clearly explain how your product helps them achieve this. Use a mix of a prototype and a verbal pitch, backed by data from your users. Discuss pricing openly to see what they’re willing to pay. Finally, be ready to adapt based on the feedback you get. Keep it simple and focused on their needs. Good luck with your venture! Also, here’s an extremely helpful article that might be able to answer all of your questions https://www.cuppa.so/post/customer-success-vs-customer-support-in-b2b-saas