The Biggest Challenges in Making a Product Successful (and How to Overcome Them)
Having a great idea is an exciting start. But while bringing a product to life is one thing, making it truly successful is another story.
We often hear about the products that break through and capture the market, but far less about the many promising ideas that never quite make it. The reality is: every product journey is full of hurdles - some you can anticipate, others that blindside you.
The good news? Many of these challenges follow predictable patterns across the product lifecycle. If you know what to look out for, you can prepare, adapt, and significantly improve your odds of success.
In this post, I’ll focus on the early stages of the product lifecycle, the make-or-break period where ideas are tested and adoption is won (or lost). Specifically, we’ll look at New Product Development and Introduction, unpack the most common challenges you’ll face, and share practical strategies (with examples) to overcome them.
New Product Development (NPD) Stage
Think of Google Glass. The technology was futuristic and exciting, but the product failed to solve a problem people urgently cared about, and consumer demand simply wasn’t there. Even when Google later tried to reposition it for enterprise use, it still struggled due to limited product–market fit and other factors.
On the other hand, Airbnb’s founders tested their idea by renting out air mattresses in their apartment to conference visitors. Or That tiny MVP validated a real need and proved the opportunity before they scaled up.
Another classic example is Zappos. Before investing in warehouses or logistics, founder Nick Swinmurn simply took photos of shoes in local stores, posted them online, and bought them at full price once orders came in. This lean experiment validated that customers were willing to buy shoes online, while keeping risk and costs low in the earliest stage.
With one of my clients, the product team spent months building a product, only to shelve it after months of struggling to promote it post-launch. That’s when I was brought in. The key insight? Product Discovery is critical for new product ideas — it can save an organization from costly missteps.
Summary
Validate thoroughly and continuously. Every hour spent testing assumptions now saves weeks (and budget) later.
Introduction Stage
When Slack launched, they didn’t try to sell to every business right away. Instead, they targeted small tech teams frustrated with email overload. Their messaging, “Be less busy”, resonated perfectly with early adopters, who then spread the word.
Contrast that with Segway, which launched with hype but without a clear segment or compelling use case. Despite the innovative technology, adoption remained weak.
In a product I supported, the team struggled with slow adoption even though the tool worked well. After analyzing the situation, I discovered their messaging was too technical and failed to highlight the “why it matters” for users. A product positioning statement — or as we now often call it, a product vision statement — isn’t just a checklist item. Once we reworked the positioning in plain, benefit-driven language, adoption rates jumped within weeks.
In a product I supported, the team struggled with slow adoption even though the tool worked well. After analyzing the situation, I discovered their messaging was too technical and failed to highlight the “why it matters” for users. A product positioning statement — or as we now often call it, a product vision statement — isn’t just a checklist item. Once we reworked the positioning in plain, benefit-driven language, adoption rates jumped within weeks.
The Runway for Taking Off
I love working with analogies, as many of my students and clients know. Here’s one: this stage is like building the runway for a plane. If you don’t create enough momentum here, takeoff in the growth stage will be much harder.
I love working with analogies, as many of my students and clients know. Here’s one: this stage is like building the runway for a plane. If you don’t create enough momentum here, takeoff in the growth stage will be much harder.
Final Takeaway
Every product journey has its own twists, but the obstacles tend to follow recognizable patterns. In this post, we only explored the early stages — where validation and adoption determine whether your product ever gets the chance to grow.
The teams that succeed aren’t the ones who avoid challenges altogether. They’re the ones who anticipate them, adapt quickly, and build with resilience to navigate each step of the product lifecycle.
And here’s the exciting part: all of the practices mentioned here:
from product discovery,
testing multiple value propositions,
calculating market size,
competitor analysis,
to experimenting with different pricing approaches, are not just theory.
Instead, they’re hands-on skills we dive deep into in our upcoming Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Advanced CSPO, and Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO) workshops.
from product discovery,
testing multiple value propositions,
calculating market size,
competitor analysis,
to experimenting with different pricing approaches, are not just theory.
Instead, they’re hands-on skills we dive deep into in our upcoming Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Advanced CSPO, and Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO) workshops.
These programs are designed for product leaders who want to master the full toolkit of modern product management and truly excel in the agile space. If you found value in the strategies shared here, you’ll love the practical depth and peer learning experience these workshops provide.
Stay tuned - in a future post, I’ll explore the later stages (Growth, Maturity, and Decline) and the strategies to thrive in them.
But if you’d like to sharpen your skills right now, check out our upcoming workshops.
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