Winning Client Confidence in a World That’s Seen It All
The old playbook for launching a new product? It’s dead.
We’ve entered an era where every buyer, from the procurement lead to the solo entrepreneur, has been burned before. They’ve tried the flashy “next big thing.” They’ve sat through the over-engineered demo. They’ve onboarded a system that was obsolete before the contract was up.
So if you’re a company building something new—whether it’s software, hardware, or a service—you need to ask yourself one question: Why should they trust you?
I’ve spent years consulting on product development, particularly in industries where the stakes are high—automotive, industrials, sustainability. The pattern is clear: Companies that win client confidence in 2025 are doing three things differently:
- Ditch the Innovation Theater. Clients can smell hype from a mile away. They’re looking for evolutionary improvements, not press-release-driven moonshots. Your best bet? Show them how your product solves real workflow pain, not just how it “disrupts” an industry.
- Make It Real, Fast. Long, drawn-out development cycles are a liability. By the time your product is polished, clients have already found a workaround. The companies getting traction are those shipping imperfect but functional versions early—getting real-world data, iterating in public, and building trust through transparency.
- Prove the Economics, Not Just the Tech. It’s no longer enough to have a “cool” product. You need to show CFOs why it makes financial sense—how it pays for itself, how it fits into an existing budget, how it reduces operational drag. The companies that lead with financial outcomes rather than feature lists are closing deals while others are still stuck in pilot purgatory.
Detroit has taught me a lot about reinvention. The companies that thrive here know that success isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about execution, resilience, and proving value every single day.
New product development in 2025 is no different. Don’t ask clients to take a leap of faith. Show them, prove it, and let them decide for themselves.
