Paige Finn DohertyFounding Partner, Behind Genius · Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures

who has a strong nose for product?

30 Jul 2023 · 1 min

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In this brief talk, the speaker highlights that Gen Z, as digital natives, can instantly detect when a product feels poorly designed or dysfunctional. They argue that a compelling product experience for this cohort blends functional performance with aesthetic appeal, underpinned by deep empathy derived from rigorous customer research and persona development. The speaker notes that BGV encourages its portfolio companies to engage directly with customers, recommending that founders allocate at least one hour each week to conduct customer interviews or other direct interactions.

Chapters

So as digital natives, Gen Z has a strong nose for product. We can sense immediately when a product feels janky or dysfunctional or something's off, and we exert a measure of influence over what's considered sleek and tasteful design. What typifies a great product experience for Gen Z is a healthy mixture of function and form matched with deep empathy for the customer experience. The latter ingredient comes from customer research and the development of target personas, what your customers like, how they spend their leisure time, etc. And at BGV, we push our portfolio companies to talk to their customers as much as possible. I believe most founders should set aside at least 1 hour per week to interact with their customers, be it through direct customer interviews.