Why is the belief that “a good product sells itself” a misleading business myth?
While creating a quality product is essential, the notion that it will automatically succeed without marketing or strategy is flawed.
The myth explained:
Many assume that if a product is excellent, word-of-mouth alone will drive growth. However, market saturation and competition make organic discovery difficult.
Why this fails in practice:
Lack of Visibility:
Without marketing, your audience may never know your product exists.
Even if a few users are impressed, scale requires strategic visibility.
Product-Market Fit ≠ Product Alone:
A great product must be timed right, priced right, and placed in the right channels.
Importance of Customer Education:
Many innovations (e.g., AI, blockchain tools) require user onboarding and trust building.
Sales, Branding, and CX are Equally Crucial:
Business is an ecosystem. Product is one node; customer service, logistics, and brand storytelling are others.
Reality:
A great product needs to be part of a go-to-market strategy that includes marketing, positioning, distribution, and ongoing customer engagement.
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