Do More Faster India, 2nd Edition

Chapter 11You Never Need Another Original Idea

Niel Robertson

Niel started his career as a software developer at NetGenesis, and from there has gone on to found numerous companies. He founded Service Metrics (sold to Exodus), Trada, Crowdsortium, TenXer (sold to Twitter), Ramen, and Influencer.co. He has been a Techstars mentor since 2007.

I first gave a talk about product management at Techstars during the summer of 2008. One of the things I said that night caught the attention of all the founders, and we ended up talking about it for hours: “As long as I listen to my customers, I never need to have another original idea.”

It’s a simple concept. Go get customers, then listen. It really can be that simple.

The ability to listen is an important skill for any startup founder. We’re all accustomed to trying to persuade people to try our products, to invest in our companies, or to listen to what we have to say. If you’re doing that with customers, you’re doing it backward.

Too many startups build things that they think their customers will want. If you’re looking for creative ideas that can make your company better, simply spend time with your customers. It’s not rocket science, but I’m always surprised by how few companies are really good at doing this.

Niel is a serial entrepreneur. His first company, Service Metrics, was a huge success and was acquired by Exodus for $280 million in 1999. He second, Newmerix, ultimately failed after shipping a series of products and building ...