In this episode of the eCommerce Marketing Podcast, host Arlen Robinson interviews Sean Tepper, Founder and CEO of Tykr, a B2C SaaS company that helps individuals manage their investments. Sean shares his journey from software engineering to creating Tykr, emphasizing the importance of involving customers in the product development process to ensure success.

Key Takeaways:

• Introduction to Sean Tepper and Tykr (00:01:46)
  • Sean’s background in software engineering and project management.
  • The journey from angel investing to developing Tykr as a tool for stock market investments.
• The Importance of Customer Feedback (00:06:01)
  • Engaging customers early in the product development phase.
  • Using customer feedback to shape and refine the product.
• Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) (00:08:02)
  • The value of launching a basic version of the product to gather initial feedback.
  • The need to focus on customer needs rather than personal preferences.
• Getting Free Licenses Out (00:12:08)
  • The strategy of offering free licenses to gather user feedback.
  • The importance of reaching out to a significant number of users to ensure valuable insights.
• Selecting the Right Test Users (00:14:16)
  • Identifying potential users within your network.
  • Avoiding purchased lists and focusing on organic, targeted outreach.
• Tools for Gathering and Managing Feedback (00:17:28)
  • Utilizing platforms like Airtable for organizing feedback.
  • The benefits of using project management tools like Asana or Trello.
• The Role of Continuous Feedback (00:21:05)
  • Setting expectations for ongoing feedback and product iteration.
  • The timeline for refining a SaaS product based on user input.
• Alternative Feedback Channels (00:22:28)
  • Leveraging LinkedIn and Facebook groups to find potential users.
  • The potential use of third-party services like UserTesting.com for unbiased feedback.
• Case Study: MailChimp (00:25:31)
  • How MailChimp used customer feedback to evolve and eventually secure a significant acquisition by Intuit.

Bullet Points of Key Takeaways with Timestamps:

• [00:01:46] Introduction to Sean Tepper and his journey in software engineering and investing.
• [00:06:01] Engaging customers early to shape the product based on their feedback.
• [00:08:02] Importance of launching an MVP to gather initial insights.
• [00:12:08] Strategy of offering free licenses to gather comprehensive feedback.
• [00:14:16] Selecting the right users from your network for testing.
• [00:17:28] Using Airtable and other tools for managing feedback.
• [00:21:05] Continuous feedback and iteration timeline for SaaS products.
• [00:22:28] Exploring alternative feedback channels like LinkedIn and Facebook groups.
• [00:25:31] MailChimp’s success story driven by customer feedback.

Guest Information:

Sean Tepper

• Founder of Tykr
• Website: Tykr
• LinkedIn: Sean Tepper