About the Episode

Today we’re going to talk about marketing technically complex products and services, and some of the challenges and opportunities they present.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Jaxon Repp, Field CTO & Head of Marketing at HarperDB.

About Jaxton Repp

Jaxon is the VP of Product at HarperDB, a fast distributed database platform for developers looking to quickly build apps and save companies millions.

They have 27000+ users and have raised $7.2M. Founded in 2017, they've also been able to scale rapidly with a small team of fewer than 20 people and are currently doing $6M+ in sales.

The platform reduces the complexity and cost of database management while saving developers time with app development, data stores, ETL processes, and IoT projects.

Jaxon has 25+ years experience architecting, designing, and developing enterprise software.

He has founded three tech startups, run technology, product, and solution architecture at several others, and consulted with multiple Fortune 500 companies on IoT and digital transformation initiatives.

Resources

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Synopsis

The product roadmap is driven by a combination of factors. One factor is the ability to quickly build smaller features or improvements that can be implemented relatively easily. These quick builds aim to address specific customer needs or requests. Another factor is the inclusion of large initiatives that will take more time to develop and implement. These initiatives are likely to be more complex and may involve significant changes or additions to the product. Lastly, the product roadmap also considers what will capture the interest of the broader market, including individuals who may not be direct customers or part of the company's target audience. This suggests that the product roadmap takes into account not only customer demands and requests but also broader market trends and potential opportunities for differentiation and marketing initiatives.

The company prioritizes between innovations that their team has, but customers may not be anticipating or asking for, and those things that customers are asking for by considering three factors. First, they consider the feasibility of building features or improvements quickly, which likely includes smaller enhancements that can be implemented in a shorter timeframe. Second, they consider very large initiatives that will take more time to develop and implement. These initiatives may require significant resources and planning but have the potential to make a substantial impact. Finally, they consider what will capture the interest of the public at large, meaning they look for opportunities to create unique and differentiating marketing initiatives that will attract attention and generate traction. By balancing these three factors, the company aims to prioritize both customer-driven requests and innovative ideas from their team.

In the episode, the company prioritizes the developer experience and has made forward-looking decisions and assumptions to address developers' pain points. The transcript mentions that the company is comprised of developers themselves, so they understand the challenges and frustrations that developers often face. Their focus on the developer experience has proven successful for them. The company strives to provide a developer-friendly environment and claims to offer the best developer experience in the world.

They acknowledge that developers are often attached to their preferred technology stacks and may resist adopting new technologies. To overcome this, the company engages in developer advocacy and helps developers understand the benefits of their platform. They emphasize that their platform has fewer complexities, allowing developers to spend more time on enjoyable tasks rather than dealing with technical issues. The company aims to ensure that their sales efforts are not hindered by developers rejecting their product due to concerns about complexity or time-consuming implementation.

Overall, the company's emphasis on the developer experience and their proactive approach to addressing pain points demonstrate their commitment to providing a user-friendly and efficient platform for developers.