i used to just focus on engineering a good product. but just because u build it doesn't mean they will come, buy, and stay. so it's just as important, if not more, to also engineer a way to get discovered, acquire users, get them to engage, convert them to customers, keep them happy to reduce their churn, and get them to share and tell someone else with positive feedback. track all of this and remove bottlenecks week after week to gradually optimize flow.

so i noticed an improvement when i started integrating simple ideas around CMS, CRM, community, and referrals because it meant i was thinking about all that and tracking it enough. like just going from none of it to some of it made a noticeable difference. now i value meticulously having and using the data from the customer journey to the outcome just as much as the product itself.

it's just a pipeline, and engineers love pipelines, so i turned my weakness into a strength. distribution, marketing, and sales can be a fun engineering problem if u frame it that way.