Early Customers are Easy

Your first sales prove almost nothing about your long term success. 

• Someone you know loves your product vision. 
• Because, you are highly connected to similar people.
• They have a budget line item for you. 
• Because, you use the pricing model of your established competitor.
• You don't need good marketing, channel, support or even sales tools. 
• Because, your best people are focused on making these sales.  

Your long-term success is predicated on learning from those early customers

• Why this is their point-of-pain.
• So you can imagine a _much_ better product or even a new category of solution.
• How they value you.
• So you can build a pricing model that puts your competitors at a disadvantage.
• What they say about you
• So you can help others Discover, Appreciate and Purchase your product.

Inspired by Rich Mironov's Keynote at Product Camp LA.