Hey SaaS folks,
I want to address a recurring issue in our industry: the chicken and egg problem.
Developers can create amazing products, but they often lack insight into market needs. Meanwhile, marketers and entrepreneurs understand customer desires but struggle to find the right developers to bring their ideas to life.
It feels like we’re stuck in a cycle. Developers build impressive solutions that sometimes miss the mark because they’re not in tune with the market. On the other hand, marketers have fantastic ideas but can’t execute them due to a lack of coding skills.
Why is it so difficult for these two areas to connect?
I’d love to hear how you’re handling this. Have you found ways to bridge the gap, or is this just something we have to deal with?
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When two things are equally difficult, it might be challenging to become an expert in both at once. Additionally, it’s very simple for an outsider to oversimplify.
In what way are you handling this?
I try to dress differently each day depending on the person I’m being.
I agree that people should build on their talents and concentrate on them, but I had a pretty hard time finding the opposite side of the equation.
There are plenty of excellent marketers and developers out there; it’s just that the matching procedure is quite difficult.
For that, I wish there existed an app.
due to the fact that both sides are incapable of judging one another and because there are many unpleasant people on both sides.
As an illustration: You have a fantastic developer and a fantastic product. They probably won’t know how to evaluate a marketer, so if they look for one, they’ll probably end up dealing with someone who isn’t very skilled.
And the other way around.
Indeed! This is the primary difficulty because assessing both parties is difficult due to their disparate skill sets. Perhaps experience should be taken into consideration. For instance, a person with ten years of marketing experience can learn a lot from a developer with ten years of experience in their field because they have both worked in their fields long enough to understand them and appreciate the skills and experience of others.
Another difficulty, in my opinion, is that those who are more eager are less competent and easier to find. There are undoubtedly many excellent matches occurring between the seasoned individuals. However, the likelihood of being an entrepreneur is significantly lower among those with ten years of experience.
As I can tell, one of the reasons new players are unable to maintain relationships for longer is a lack of patience. Many people, including myself, began their entrepreneurial journeys later in life for understandable reasons. However, I do acknowledge my previous employment, where I gained experience and knowledge.
They’re often involved at different points in the process. Developers might only receive customer feedback after the product is complete, while marketers might not understand why certain features weren’t feasible.
Imagine if, from the start of a project, developers and marketers worked together and better understood each other’s perspectives. Developers could see how marketers address customer pain points and why specific features are essential. At the same time, marketers could learn about technical constraints and opportunities, potentially leading to new ideas for product positioning and enhancement. Working closely from the beginning would result in a product that’s not only technically robust but also well-aligned with user needs and market demands.
Developers and marketers approach things differently. Developers often dive deep into the technical aspects and might lose sight of market needs, while marketers focus on making the product stand out and generating demand but might not fully grasp technical limitations. This disconnect can lead to developers creating something impressive that doesn’t resonate with users or marketers promising features that aren’t feasible.
Yes, the ideal situation is where both developers and marketers collaborate from the start and are fully committed to the project.
I agree that developers can significantly enhance the product with their technical insights, which marketers might not consider. However, the challenge is figuring out how to make this collaboration work effectively.
From what I’ve observed, there’s often a lot of wasted talent, time, money, and effort simply because one of the necessary skill sets wasn’t involved in the initial planning. Maybe they need to recognize each other’s value and work together more closely from the beginning.