There’s no such thing as “the product”

Of the words that get misused or oversimplified, “product” is one of my favorites. It creates such an easy image in people’s heads that often is completely inaccurate, especially in the high-tech domain.

When we hear the word “product,” we tend to think of this widget that passes hands from one of our salespeople to the customer. We get paid for it and move on with our lives. The product is simple, the sale is transactional and the relationship with the customer ceases to exist once the transaction has been completed.