Success Starts with the Customer
Tien Tzuo, in his book Subscribed, said it plainly:
“Successful companies start with the customer.”
You’d think that would be obvious. But here’s the truth: in most boardrooms, strategy sessions, and marketing meetings, the customer is nowhere to be found. I’ve been in plenty of those rooms.
We talk about our products. Our needs. Our sales numbers. Our campaigns. And in the process, the very people we’re trying to reach become ghosts—afterthoughts to a self-serving conversation.
I’ve seen what happens when companies start with themselves. They build products that look good on paper but don’t solve real problems. They launch campaigns full of clever language that don’t connect with anyone. They push what they think people need instead of asking what people actually want. And then they scratch their heads when sales slump.
But I’ve also seen what happens when you start with the customer.
When companies forget this principle, it shows. Remember “New Coke”? In 1985, Coca-Cola thought the way to win the cola wars against Pepsi was to change the formula. They tested it, marketed it, hyped it up. And then… backlash. People hated it. Not because it tasted bad—but because Coke had forgotten who they were serving. Customers weren’t asking for “new.” They wanted the classic, the familiar, the emotional connection of the brand they grew up with. Coke had started with themselves instead of their customers—and they nearly lost them.
On the flip side, the projects that did best weren’t always the flashiest or the ones we assumed would dominate. They were the ones where we’d taken the time to listen. To hear what parents were worried about. To hear what pastors were struggling with. To ask homeschool families what they needed at the kitchen table, not just in the catalog. Those conversations shaped better books, stronger campaigns, and deeper impact.
The principle holds across the board. Pricing isn’t about how much margin we want—it’s about what customers value. Marketing isn’t about clever taglines—it’s about clarity. Innovation isn’t about features—it’s about solving problems.
Customers can smell selfishness a mile away. They know when you’re using them as a means to your end. They also know when you’re serving them, seeing them, and putting their needs ahead of your own.
So here’s the hard question:
Are we starting with the customer—or starting with ourselves?
Because if we don’t begin with them, we won’t end with them either.
I’d love to hear from you—where have you seen this principle play out? What happens when you really start with the customer?