Finding Signal in Noise: Unity SCM’s Framework for Customer Feedback and Product Evolution
Every B2B company claims to be customer-driven. But in a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Unity SCM founder Amir Taichman revealed how they’ve turned this buzzword into a systematic approach for product development.
The Foundation: Happy Customers as Innovation Partners
Unity’s approach starts with a counter-intuitive insight: happy customers are better sources of product direction than struggling ones. “If you have happy customers using your product… they’ll introduce you to new problems,” Amir explains. These satisfied customers become partners in identifying new opportunities.
Breaking the Snowflake Myth
A common challenge in B2B software is the belief that each customer is unique. Unity takes a different view. As Amir notes, “While every company thinks they’re a snowflake, they’re not. The same problems exist for other companies with similar characteristics.”
This insight shapes how Unity evaluates customer feedback. Instead of building custom solutions for each customer, they look for patterns that indicate broader market needs.
The Platform Approach
Unity’s method for managing customer requests stems from their data platform foundation. “If your platform is built well, and luckily ours, I think, is, they’ll introduce you to new problems,” Amir explains. This platform approach allows them to identify solutions that can scale across multiple customers.
Finding Patterns in Complexity
Supply chain operations are notoriously complex. As Amir describes, “One of the big challenges is just how nuanced every company is.” However, Unity has developed a framework for identifying commonalities amid this complexity:
- Start with successful implementations
- Listen for new use cases from satisfied customers
- Look for similar patterns across other customers
- Build scalable solutions that address common needs
The Validation Process
When Unity identifies a potential new feature or use case, they validate it through existing customer relationships. “We manage to learn from our happy customers about new use cases that we can help solve with our platform,” Amir shares, “and then we can turn around and find other companies that have the same problems.”
This approach provides built-in market validation. As Amir explains, “Then we have referenceable customers who are willing to say, yes, they help us solve this problem.”
Building for Long-term Value
Unity’s framework extends beyond immediate feature requests to focus on long-term value creation. “That’s only really possible if you’re really focused on incrementally making the right decisions and identifying repeatable patterns,” Amir notes.
This long-term focus helps them avoid the trap of building one-off features. Instead, they look for solutions that can create sustainable value across their customer base.
The Role of Customer Success
Customer success plays a crucial role in this framework. “We’re really hyper focused on our customers and making sure that the customers we have are really successful,” Amir explains. This focus creates a virtuous cycle where successful customers help identify and validate new opportunities.
Measuring Success
Rather than tracking traditional product metrics alone, Unity measures success through customer outcomes. They focus on creating “real, tangible value” that customers “will talk about… and they’ll go on record and they’ll tell their friends and they’ll be referenceable.”
For B2B founders, Unity’s framework offers a valuable lesson in turning customer feedback into product evolution. The key isn’t just listening to customers, but building a systematic approach to identifying patterns and creating scalable solutions that drive long-term value.
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