EP40: When your product takes you in an unexpected direction
What happens when the market wants one thing, but you want to build something else?
In this episode of the In Demand Podcast, Asia and Kim unpack the emotional tension founders face when their product attracts a different kind of customer than they originally set out to serve.
From internal conflict to organizational confusion, they explore how this misalignment can quietly stall growth and what it takes to move forward with clarity.
What the founder wants versus what the product wants
Many founders, especially solo bootstrapped ones, experience a unique conflict: the product they’ve built begins attracting users they never intended to serve. This creates a fundamental tension between the founder’s original vision and the market reality.
This tension often appears as an internal conflict—especially among solo founders who lack partners to help resolve these strategic questions. When left unaddressed, this conflict manifests as a lack of focus that can significantly hinder growth.
What this looks like
A technical founder builds a productivity tool to solve their own problem, initially attracting customers just like them. Over time, a larger, unexpected customer segment emerges and gradually becomes the dominant user base. The founder struggles emotionally because their passion was for the original audience, not this new segment.
A PLG SaaS in the HR space discovers their product appeals to three distinct segments. Each segment wants features that are often “diametrically opposed” to what other segments need. The founders now have to decide which direction to take the product, knowing they can’t effectively serve all three segments equally.
Recognition is the first step
The first step toward resolving this tension is simply recognizing it exists. Many founders experience this conflict but aren’t fully aware of it or how it’s affecting their decision-making.
It’s important for founders to explicitly acknowledge this tension, especially before getting too big and the misalignment becomes more costly to address.
Understanding the source of the conflict
This tension can stem from various sources:
- Emotional attachment to an original idea or vision
- Identity concerns ‘I’ve always seen myself as a founder of a developer-based company’
- Fear of the unknown path or customer segment
- Team considerations and worries about disrupting existing structures
- General discomfort with making significant strategic shifts
Making peace with a direction
The most important step is making a commitment to a direction—any direction—rather than remaining stuck in perpetual indecision.
It’s better for founders to make a commitment than to just keep thrashing. That is how you low-key die on that long slow SaaS ramp of death.
Bootstrap founders have unique freedom—if you don’t have a VC to answer to, you can do whatever you want. But this freedom means there’s no objectively “right” path—only the path you commit to, with full awareness of its trade-offs.
How to resolve the tension
- Identify all potential options, not just the obvious choices
- Understand the trade-offs of each path
- Decide and commit to a direction, even knowing it’s not perfect
- Practice radical acceptance of the chosen path
- Remember decisions are mutable – you can always adjust later
Getting outside perspective
Sometimes, founders need outside perspective to break through this tension. Whether it’s working with a company like DemandMaven, seeking executive coaching, or consulting resources like Dr. Sherry Walling’s work for founders, external input can be invaluable.
People often underestimate how much our own emotions and egos get in the way of growing their own company. If you’re a solo founder, it’s especially important to be able to reflect, seek council and make a decision and move forward.
The bottom line
Don’t let internal tension around product direction become the reason your growth stalls. Recognize the conflict, understand your options, and commit to a direction—even if that direction might shift later.
Got a question you’d like Asia to unpack on the podcast? Record a voicemail here.