In Bugs We Trust: Turning Flaws into Champions

“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you've launched too late.” 

This famous quote by Reid Hoffman perfectly captures a sentiment we've all felt here at Tadabase – a mixture of pride with a tinge of embarrassment. It's a mantra often used by product teams to make them feel better about themselves, but it holds more wisdom than meets the eye. The value of launching early lies in gaining insights – quickly discerning if there's potential, or if it's time to pivot.

I often cringe at the memories of our initial launch. There were the expected bugs, but what really stung were the avoidable slip-ups – broken links, typos, and a slew of other silly mistakes. But even with a humiliating spelling mistake there can be a silver lining.

Lately, our focus has shifted to a more data-driven approach to running Tadabase, unveiling a treasure trove of insights. One particularly intriguing revelation is that a whopping 45% of our revenue comes from customers who've stuck around for over 4 years. It's worth noting that our product is just 6 years old and, during its early days, was plagued with the very bugs I mentioned earlier. This revelation sparked some fascinating ideas I'm excited to share.

Bugs = Feedback. Feedback = Opportunity 

Bugs aren't just glitches; they're feedback. And in our world, feedback spells opportunity. It's not a universal rule, but when it holds true, you know you're onto something. We decided to delve into this further with our top customers, crunching the numbers and uncovering a fascinating pattern. Nearly all of our greatest early users had reported numerous bugs, and as we combed through the chats and support tickets, a familiar narrative emerged. Our team would extend apologies, brainstorm workarounds, and then take a deep dive into understanding the customers' processes. Also important to note is that some of the bug reports were as simple as a customer reporting a spelling mistake.

This feedback loop didn't end there; it opened doors to tremendous opportunities. Customers aren't accustomed to companies taking a keen interest in their business, but our relentless pursuit of solutions, driven by the multitude of bugs, led to a profound understanding of their needs. We've got a trove of custom screen recordings dedicated to individual customers, where ideas and solutions are hashed out aloud to provide tailored assistance.

Bugs = Education

When a customer encounters a bug and engages in a conversation with us, it becomes an opportunity for them to delve deeper into the intricacies of our system. This understanding, born out of necessity troubleshooting, has proven to be a valuable asset. Customers who've navigated through bugs with us end up gaining insights that elevate their proficiency with the platform, reaching levels they might not have achieved otherwise.

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

At different stages, ideal customer profiles (ICP) take on varying forms. While this notion is hotly debated, there's consensus that a customer willing to embark on the journey with you, such as by reporting bugs in the early days, is a true gem. In our initial phase, hosting thousands of apps during the beta period proved costly. Despite the clear financial cost, it made sense; it was still more economical than hiring a team of QA engineers. The ICP comfortable with these bugs, eager to provide feedback, and thrilled when issues are resolved, is someone we hold in high regard.

Internally, we never shied away from making specific changes for a client, a practice that may raise eyebrows among some product experts. When the right ICP pointed out a bug or issue other companies may want to overlook, we made an effort to accommodate their needs. This approach birthed numerous features and settings, though not without a few instances of botched implementations. Yet, the successes far outweighed the setbacks.

We owe immense gratitude to our earliest customers. Many of these early users evolved into partners or enterprises whose businesses flourished alongside our platform, transforming them from early users to incredible, long-term customers and advocates.

While I wouldn't suggest launching a bug-riddled platform, there's a way to turn bugs into opportunities. They key takeaway here is when you’re working on a product and someone reports a piece of feedback, treat it like that day's best opportunity.