Importance of Feedback in Brand Development

As founders, our first job isn’t to sell—it’s to listen to customers. Listen to invalidate: Yes, you heard that right. Our initial ideas, often don’t survive first contact with real customers. This is good news. Every piece of feedback, every objection, every ‘no’ is gold dust. It tells us where our assumptions and hypotheses miss the mark and gives us a clearer path to what really works. Why this matters? If you’re not listening to invalidate your early hypotheses, you’re not really listening. We must be eager to be proven wrong. Why? Because that’s how we pivot towards what’s right, that’s how we refine our approach, and that’s how we ultimately build something that isn’t just good, but great. Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to learn. Every bit of feedback is a chance to get better. So, go out there, lead with curiosity, and let every conversation guide you closer to product-market fit.

What happens when the listening comes too late? Cracker Barrel. Yesterday, the comfort food chain announced it’s scrapping its new logo and going back to the original after massive backlash. Their statement said: “We said we would listen, and we have.” But here’s the thing… that listening (allegedly!) didn’t happen until *after* the rollout. And the pushback wasn’t just about design — it was about legacy and tradition. People felt like a piece of the brand’s identity, and their own memories tied to it, was being erased. I have lots of thoughts there... 🫢 But the point is, in branding (and internal comms!) listening shouldn’t be a reaction, it should be the process. Very practically, that looks like: ➡️ Listening tours before a change, to understand where people are coming from and what expectations or interests they have ➡️ Ongoing surveys & feedback loops to test ideas, not just messages ➡️ Pulse checks after launches to refine and keep trust intact Skipping those steps means you risk what Cracker Barrel experienced: a loud (and costly 💸) correction. So, don’t wait for silence or backlash to tell you something isn’t landing. Build listening into the beginning, middle, and end of your process. Because whether it’s a logo or an internal rollout, legacy and tradition matter and your employees (just like customers) want to feel heard.

How you see a design decision shapes how others see it. Over the years, I’ve noticed a connection between how decisions are made in a business and how a design team influences those decisions. The most effective teams actively ensure that their ideas hold up through different challenges, whether technical, strategic, or part of the user journey. When a design team assumes their decisions will "speak for themselves," frustration sets in. The work isn’t valued. And decisions are often ignored or changed without input. In a traditional, top-down approach, the project team makes a decision, then hands it off to stakeholders, and finally, it reaches customers. There’s no feedback loop. Instead, decisions are shaped by the business need, while the customer's voice slowly disappears. The design is expected to stand independently, relying purely on the team’s expertise. But when a design team actively influences decisions, everything shifts: → A feedback-driven process brings customers, stakeholders, and the project team into ongoing conversations. → Ideas go through multiple rounds of refinement based on input from different groups. → This back-and-forth ensures that design decisions reflect actual needs, not just assumptions. The old model assumes that a good design speaks for itself. But teams that embrace iteration, user feedback, and collaboration create better outcomes. And feel more invested in their work. A user-centered approach doesn’t just happen at the start. It requires influence at every step of the process! #productdesign #productdiscovery #userresearch #uxresearch

A startup's secret weapon isn't cutting-edge tech, but the ability to truly listen to its customers. As a startup founder, it's easy to get caught up in product development and fundraising. But spending time with your customers (current and potential) is a make or break activity. Why is this so crucial? ✅ Validate assumptions: Your brilliant idea might not solve the problem you think it does. Only by talking to real users can you truly understand their needs. 💻 Refine your offering: Customer feedback is the best tool for product improvement. It helps you prioritize features and fix pain points. 🤝 Build loyalty: Personal interactions create emotional connections. Customers who feel heard are more likely to stick with you. 💡 Gain insights: Casual conversations often reveal unexpected opportunities or use cases you hadn't considered. Don't just rely on surveys, analytics, or online research. Pick up the phone, schedule video calls, or visit your customers in person. The insights you gain will be invaluable. Many of Zimi (YC S24)'s early customers are in Europe, Asia, and Africa, which means early mornings here in San Francisco. But those pre-dawn Zoom calls? They're worth every minute of lost sleep.

Customer feedback is the lifeblood of a successful consumer brand. That’s because getting customer feedback creates a flywheel effect, where each round of lessons informs the next iteration of the product…and your next round of customers. Here’s how it works: As your company progresses, you’ll begin to gain an intimate understanding of customer needs and behavior. If you take the time to get in tune with those insights, you can use them to build exactly the product your customers are looking for. If you get that first round of feedback right, you build new products that keep your customers coming back, increasing the lifetime value of each customer. But that’s not all. Customers who feel satisfied - and heard - will give authentic referrals to a wider set of customers - building your overall audience. Then, you’ve got an even wider set of voices to listen to…. … and the more you listen, the better products you can build. The cycle repeats itself, and soon enough, it leads to rapid growth. So, if you’re early on in your company-building process, think of asking for product feedback as a growth strategy. If you listen to your customers now, you’re setting your acquisition flywheel in motion.