Eben PaganDiscovery Hub

Design products around specific customer outcomes not knowledge

The most common mistake in product creation is treating a product as a vessel for everything you know instead of a targeted solution to a customer's specific problem. Think of your product as an obstacle the customer must overcome to get their desired result — not as the solution itself. Customers want tangible, observable outcomes in the real world that they can verify actually happened. They don't want concepts or abstractions. Focus on 5–10 high-value customer problems and apply all your expertise to solving those exact situations. When you can describe someone's problem better than they can, they automatically assume you have the solution. Anything else — a knowledge dump, a reference guide — creates generic content that converts poorly and delivers low transformation.

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The most common mistake in product creation is treating a product as a vessel for everything you know instead of a targeted solution to a customer's specific problem. Think of your product as an obstacle the customer must overcome to get their desired result — not as the solution itself. Customers want tangible, observable outcomes in the real world that they can verify actually happened. They don't want concepts or abstractions. Focus on 5–10 high-value customer problems and apply all your expertise to solving those exact situations. When you can describe someone's problem better than they can, they automatically assume you have the solution. Anything else — a knowledge dump, a reference guide — creates generic content that converts poorly and delivers low transformation.

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  • Answer7:38

    Think of Your Product as an Obstacle Customers Must Overcome

    Focus on customer needs rather than your expertise. Think of your product as an obstacle customers must overcome to get their desired result, not as the solution itself. This perspective helps you create outcome-focused products instead of knowledge dumps.

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  • Answer3:58

    Customers Want Concrete Outcomes, Not Internal Concepts

    Customers want tangible, observable outcomes in the real world that they can verify actually happened. They're not looking for internal concepts or abstract ideas - they want something concrete that changes their external situation in a measurable way.

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  • Answer0:52

    Describe Problems Better Than Prospects Can

    Focus intensely on 5-10 high-value customer problems and apply everything you know to understanding those situations. When you can describe someone's problems better than they can, they automatically assume you have the solution.

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  • Answer0:52

    Look for Problems Causing Pain and Urgency Not General Concerns

    Look for problems causing pain and urgency - specific situations where getting the solution would feel like it solves everything else. Focus on tangible, immediate issues rather than general concerns.

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  • Answer0:52

    Knowledge Dumping Creates Generic Products Nobody Wants

    They try to dump all their knowledge into one product instead of focusing on specific customer needs. This creates generic reference guides rather than targeted solutions.

    → Canonical answer