How to build a successful (digital) product: my 7 sparkling rules

Building a digital product is something many organizations and people have to deal with. So thanks to my studies, information gleaned from product experts at the last conference I attended, Mind the Product in London, I’ll try to summarize some rules we should always respect (not just for digital products, but for all products).

Here are my 7 Product Rules.

1 Are you building the right thing?

Ask the team, your colleagues and yourself if you are building the right thing. Sometimes we move so fast, we forget to wonder if we’re on the right track. Stop moving fast, move intentionally and build something useful and feasible.

2 Have the joy of making

Be happy! Be proud of what you are building. Don’t do something because it is what you have been asked to do, connect your brain and your heart and find the joy of making.

3 Design an awesome product

What does it mean? An awesome product must be easy to use, have a positive impact on users, be sustainable and – why not?! – make people smile.

4 Make things simple

Complex things exist, complicated things are something created by stupid people, the ones who are not builders, but destroyers. So, why should you build something complicated and not user-friendly? Make things simple and clear: help people to use your product and not waste their time trying to understand how to use it.

5 Try different things

Don’t find the right solution, try different solutions. Do experiments, build prototypes, never stop testing. To build the best product you have to try different things, and while doing that, research! Too many people say research is too expensive, long, etc. but it could save the future of your business: testing and researching is the right approach.

6 Invest in people

Product quality is a direct consequence of organization quality. It means that customer and employee experience need the same approach and caring attitude. Having a people-centred organization is not just a nice buzzword, but is fundamental to success!

So, invest in people, find and retain the best talent, put them at the core of the development, be transparent with them. You will build trust and, consequently, retain the best talent: they will feel less like workers and more part of the products they develop.

7 Build trust

Trust is the most valuable thing you have: if you don’t build a relationship based on trust with your customers, they leave you alone. It’s the same with employees. Trust people, both customers and employees, and be sure they trust your product and consequently your brand.

This is the most important investment you can make, and it is connected with the success and longevity of the product. The greater the trust, the greater the business and profit. 🙂

And now… just start: take your team with you, follow these 7 Product Rules, adapt the strategy to the context and the market. The road to your product success is just around the corner. Enjoy the journey.