1 tip & 3 resources per week to improve your Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery practices in less than 5 minutes.
B2B vs. B2C Product Strategy
B2B vs. B2C Product StrategyDear Reader, When I switched from B2C to B2B product management, I had to unlearn many tactical approaches - but the strategic fundamentals remained surprisingly consistent. The truth is that B2B and B2C product strategies share core patterns while differing primarily in execution. Key Similarities1. Blended Audience Considerations Even dedicated B2C companies must consider B2B-like behaviors. Take heycar, which sells used cars to consumers but must work with dealerships as B2B enablers of their B2C experience. Similarly, B2B products like Quantilope must manage the diverse needs of users, champions, and customers - with champions functioning "more like early adopters in B2C-like situations."
2. Pattern Recognition Over Templates Effective product strategy emerges from recognizing patterns rather than filling out rigid templates. As Stephanie Leue (Ex-CPO Doodle), "None of these frameworks really work properly. It's always a combination of 10,000 different things." Strategic thinking requires synthesis that transcends business models. 3. Collaborative Development The best product strategies emerge from both top-down direction and bottom-up input. Lucas Bremer from Quantilope calls this the "Ikea effect" - when teams build strategy together, they're more invested in its success, even if it's not perfect.
Key Differences1. Audience Input Dynamics B2B companies typically have deeper qualitative interactions with users and champions, whose voices "can really scream in your ear." B2C users, meanwhile, are "very, very far away" and harder to hear from directly, requiring more quantitative approaches and deliberate voice aggregation.
2. Risk Calculation Changing course in B2B carries higher stakes due to longer sales cycles and organizational commitments. As Stephanie explains, "In B2C a user is a user, and if their needs change, you probably don't have to shift your entire organization into a different setup." B2B pivots often require organizational restructuring with longer payoff timelines. 3. Expansion Trajectories B2C products can more easily expand into B2B markets by repackaging proven offerings (like Doodle and Blinkist did), whereas B2B companies expanding to B2C often face deadly distractions (which is why Slack deliberately avoided the community software market).
The fundamental patterns of product strategy transcend B2B/B2C distinctions, but the tools and tactics for implementing them vary significantly. Understanding these nuances helps you adapt your approach without reinventing strategic fundamentals and getting lost in self-doubt. Enjoy the newsletter? Please forward it to a colleague. It only takes 4 seconds. That's precisely how long it took me to pick a coffee brewing method before writing this newsletter. Thank you for Practicing Product, Tim As a Product Management Coach, I guide Product Teams to measure the real progress of their evidence-informed decisions. I focus on better practices to connect the dots of Product Strategy, Product OKRs, and Product Discovery. |
Product Practice Newsletter
1 tip & 3 resources per week to improve your Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery practices in less than 5 minutes.
Product Practice #358 Why your Users don't careabout your Product Strategy READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Apr 11, 2025 READING TIME 3 min & 24 sec Dear Reader, One of the most powerful ways to spot and stop Alibi Progress is to start treating our practices like products. This means clearly defining three elements: Audience: For whom is this practice meant? Problem: What core problem does this practice aim to solve? Success: How would we know this practice has delivered value? The question then...
Product Practice #356 4 Opportunities to Layer AI into Your Product Discovery Activities READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Mar 28, 2025 READING TIME 4 min & 32 sec Dear Reader, To use AI to shorten your lead time and reduce uncertainty, consider it a layer to supercharge your existing workflow. Instead of generating with AI, think about supercharging with AI. Here are four common Product Discovery activities where thoughtful AI integration can dramatically reduce uncertainty without sacrificing...
Product Practice #355 You’re Not Writing OKRs.You’re Reformatting KPIs READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Mar 21, 2025 READING TIME 5 min & 32 sec Dear Reader, Every product organization has seen it - "OKR Theater" - Teams meticulously craft perfect objective statements, debate whether something is "outcome enough," and create elaborate tracking systems that generate more busy work than value. Behind this theater lurk predictable patterns: We adopt "best practices" without a clear why. Instead of...