At least not as much as you think it does. In the early stages, a product is a tool you use to get signals from customers, and what matters is something else entirely. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

Having a deep understanding of your customer is the basis of any successful startup. Yet most founders have a shallow understanding — at best.Here's why you should create customer personas, how to go about the process, and what you can do with them.All in less than 5 minutes.As promised, here’s my full YouTube video on customer personas: And here is the free template. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

People lie right to your face because they think they're being kind. So how does a startup founder get accurate information from her customers? The key is in learning how to trick your mom. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

Business has been around...forever. And yet design thinking is seemingly suddenly crucial for success in business. Why are startups different? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

Growth hacking isn't magic. It isn't luck. It's a methodical, three-step process you can follow today to find the quickest path to scale. Let's break it down. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

They say pain is temporary & quitting lasts forever. But pain is only temporary if there’s a there there. Grit isn’t the hard part. It’s knowing when to use it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

Design thinking about solving wicked problems using the tools and mindset of creative design. And the ultimate wicked problem? It's a startup. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

At its core, the work of the startup is just the cyclical process of validation. If you can’t articulate your current cycle, you’re stuck. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

We tend to value more what we create ourselves than what we acquire — even when it comes to ideas. The solution is the startup lifecycle. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com

For a startup founder, the most important task at any moment is the one that will have the greatest immediate impact on the flow of customers through the business model at that moment.Everything else is procrastination.Startup Meditations is a daily podcast where JDM shares a snippet of startup wisdom for you to ponder — and a question to help give you focus. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com