If you want to your business succeed, you really have to know who your customers are — and what they want. Creating a great company isn’t just about having a brilliant idea for a product or service. It’s also about delivering something that people not only need, but also something that they are willing to pay for.

No matter how astonishing your business concept is, it will be dead in the water if it can’t connect to customers. Often, the difference between a success and a flop isn’t some huge gulf in how a product works or a service is priced. The thing that usually tips the scale is how well that product fits the needs of the customer. Continue reading →