Problem Solvers What Customers Ask For vs. What They Actually Want
SimpliSafe was built for renters. Renters didn't buy it. Homeowners did. Jason has told that story for years, because it's a perfect lesson in how founders get their customer wrong. But he never asked the obvious follow-up: once you finally find the right customer, then what? Now, 20 years in, SimpliSafe founder Chad Laurans and CEO Hilary Schneider reveal what comes after product-market fit, and why customers asking for "more cameras" didn't actually want more cameras.
This episode of Problem Solvers is presented by AT&T Business. To learn more about how the right connectivity can help support your business as it grows, visit att.com/smallbusiness.
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0:00 The "faster horses" myth
0:29 Welcome to Problem Solvers
0:46 The SimpliSafe origin story: renters vs. homeowners
2:21 What happens after product-market fit?
2:55 Meet the guests
3:47 What product-market fit actually feels like
5:11 Should you build everything customers ask for?
6:11 Why you have to keep asking "why"
7:14 From "more cameras" to crime prevention
8:17 Fact check: Henry Ford never said it
9:22 What customers really want: peace of mind
10:02 Making a costly service profitable with AI
11:44 Launching a product that doesn't scale yet
13:48 Why big companies forget to prototype
16:51 Build things you're willing to throw away
18:26 What's next for SimpliSafe
19:48 The innovator's dilemma of a cheaper product
20:31 Mining customer support calls for insight
21:52 Go back to what made you great
23:22 The mission: every home secure
23:57 Long-term value comes from creating value
26:33 Wrap-up
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