customers

Get a feel for what you should be examining in the current market. Revisit this document in the solution stage to measure where you are and where you can make progress.

According to Barry, choice is a good thing. Until there's too much of it, that is. By overloading us with options, in education, sex, religion, or clothing, more choices not only make us less satisfied, they debilitate us. Read an excerpt from his powerful new book.

This applies to product development and marketing, where decisions are made to impact the product and how the users discover, purchase, and use it.

More features and options is not always the best for the customer and your sales. Too many features, choices, decisions, steps, or options can confuse the customer and dilute your product. Apple does this well, they offer a small fraction of choice in computers, which alienates some customers. However, the rest are met with easy decisions in purchasing and a higher quality product. The product can be higher quality because R&D dollars and effort can be focused on a small set of products instead of spread over dozens and dozens of different products that Dell and HP offer.

You have had the opportunity to build your product, get it in front of customers, and generally test your assumptions and approach to the market place.

Now it is time to reexamine and redefine your business in preparation for expansion. At this point you should be preparing to put your full vision into action and should have a clearer focus on what your company is and how to address the needs you plan to serve.

Many will be seeking funding, either in debt or equityi, both will require complete and concise business plans and presentations.

Understanding your market, customer, competition, company and product.