1. Don’t just look at our customers’ problems; listen to them.
What is the lowest common denominator that isn’t being addressed in your industry? Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there to find out, because this is what starts a dialogue with your customers. Journalists don’t sit an interviewee in front of a camera and tell them to talk; they use their personalities and conversational abilities to pull out important information that would have otherwise remained hidden. What frustrates you about your industry will often frustrate others. Use this as a starting point.
2. Your customers aren’t farm animals. Don’t dish out sloppy content.
For many people, it seems daunting to try and come up with something worthwhile to read on a daily basis. 10-20% of your content should be from in-house, and the rest you can pull from different sources (Reddit, Imgur, Tumblr, other blogs), but it still has to be content that people will find interesting.
“House of Cards” is well written, superbly acted, and crafted with care. Netflix’s other content is an interesting mix of documentaries, movies, and other TV series from other sources that people can fill their time with. You should do the same.
3. Be adaptable:
As Bruce Lee famously said, “Be like water.” Be able to mold and form to what your client’s needs are. Don’t try to dictate needs to your clients. They are the users and consumers, and have a unique perspective on how your product works.
Netflix identified that people
