Five thoughts to help your business become product-led

The objective of British Smaller Companies VCT Plc (BSC) is to maximise Total Return and provide investors with an attractive long-term tax-free dividend yield while maintaining the Company’s status as a venture capital trust. The investment strategy of the Company is to invest in UK businesses across a broad range of sectors to create a portfolio that blends a mix of businesses operating in established and emerging industries that offer opportunities in the application and development of innovation in their products and services.

These investments will all meet the definition of a Qualifying Investment and be primarily in unquoted UK companies. It is anticipated that the majority of these businesses will be re-investing their profits for growth and the investments will, therefore, comprise mainly equity instruments.

opportunities in the application and development of innovation in their products and services.

These investments will all meet the definition of a Qualifying Investment and be primarily in unquoted UK companies. It is anticipated that the majority of these businesses will be re-investing their profits for growth and the investments will, therefore, comprise mainly equity instruments.

If you are aiming to establish a product that serves multiple markets and verticals, through minimal product customisation and after sales costs, then having a product-led culture in your business will be important in driving sustainable growth. When a customer thinks about a company, he/she thinks about the product experience. How good it is at solving their problems? How does it improve their day to day lives? How does it make them feel? How are they supported to realise the most value from the product? It is time for companies to see themselves the same way customers do. Every function in the business should point in the same direction and play its part in creating one end-to-end customer experience, anchored within the product itself where possible, ensuring their product serves its market to the best of its ability.

The product manager plays a key part in making sure everyone in the company is well aligned on the product values. They are instrumental in ensuring the product truly serves its customers and, importantly, continues to evolve to better serve them. Product managers are normally influential members of the senior management team and report directly into the CEO. While CTOs are typically visionary specialists, product managers are generalists who are technical, commercially minded and can communicate exceptionally well in order to keep the business aligned in serving its customers through their products. Getting the best out of the respective teams and key individuals is vital to building a product-led business.

If you are aiming to establish a product that serves multiple markets and verticals, through minimal product customisation and after sales costs, then having a product-led culture in your business will be important in driving sustainable growth. When a customer thinks about a company, he/she thinks about the product experience. How good it is at solving their problems? How does it improve their day to day lives? How does it make them feel? How are they supported to realise the most value from the product? It is time for companies to see themselves the same way customers do. Every function in the business should point in the same direction and play its part in creating one end-to-end customer experience, anchored within the product itself where possible, ensuring their product serves its market to the best of its ability.

The product manager plays a key part in making sure everyone in the company is well aligned on the product values. They are instrumental in ensuring the product truly serves its customers and, importantly, continues to evolve to better serve them. Product managers are normally influential members of the senior management team and report directly into the CEO. While CTOs are typically visionary specialists, product managers are generalists who are technical, commercially minded and can communicate exceptionally well in order to keep the business aligned in serving its customers through their products. Getting the best out of the respective teams and key individuals is vital to building a product-led business.