Today, experience is everything.

When it comes to technology, people expect a great experience everywhere they are—at work or home, on web or mobile. 

They also expect the ability to self-serve their journey and choose exactly how and when they engage with the products they rely on. 

Today, these expectations are only growing, with no signs of slowing down. And many of the B2C companies we all know and love—like Netflix and Instagram—have been doing this well for years, through tailored products and experiences that raise the bar on how we interact with technology.


But here’s the thing. Most B2B products aren’t meeting our elevated expectations.

The companies creating the products our businesses run on are out of touch with this generation of consumers—leaving the software we use for work at odds with the software we use for play.

In the technology sector alone:

  • Less than 31% of enterprise users report having a high-quality product experience
    Gartner 2021, Accelerating your growth in an era of transformation
  • Customers feel there is a 13% gap between their experiences and their expectations
    PwC 2018, Experience is everything: Here’s how to get it right
  • 44% of customers think there is a need for major improvement in the technologies the businesses they interact with are using
    Salesforce 2020, State of the Connected Consumer

And instead of the intuitive, simple, and fast software experiences we expect, we’re stuck with clunky, bloated, and frustrating software experiences we can’t stand.


In a world of escalating customer expectations, the smartest companies are changing the way they build products and support users.

They involve every department across the business and put the product at the center of their strategy.

They’re evolving the way they do marketing, revolutionizing the way they onboard and engage with new users, elevating the way they do customer service, streamlining the way they communicate, and transforming the way they train their employees.

In other words, they’re becoming product led.

And this approach isn’t just for software companies. From banks to grocery stores to retailers—the brands that are embracing a product-led approach are thriving in this new world by putting their product at the heart of their experience and connecting with users in more personalized ways.


So what does it mean to be product led?

Rather than constantly shipping, marketing, and selling new features or offerings, product-led companies put their products to work for them by maximizing their fullest potential and using them to anchor the entire brand experience.

1. Product-led organizations align around the product

Product-led organizations make the product experience the driving force behind every function throughout their business. They align their strategy with how customers engage with the product and empower their people to leverage it as a vehicle for connecting with users and customers. 

2. Product-led organizations make decisions with data over gut feel

Product-led organizations use data to understand exactly what’s happening inside their product, where their users are struggling, which features are getting the most traction, and which feedback trends will have the farthest-reaching impact—so they can continually improve and iterate.

3. Product-led organizations use product as a marketing channel

Product-led organizations communicate with users within the product—targeting and tailoring their messaging for the right audience, not necessarily every audience. They also use the product to sell itself through free trials, self-guided tours, and freemium experiences to drive expansion.

4. Product-led organizations have amazing onboarding

Product-led organizations prioritize first impressions by building incredible onboarding experiences for their users. They create scalable in-product training and enablement programs that help users learn the ropes within the context of the product itself. 

5. Product-led organizations help users help themselves

Product-led organizations make support resources readily available within the product—so users never have to leave to get the help they need. They allow users to find solutions to problems on their own, whenever they need them, without needing to rely on external customer support.

6.  Product-led organizations collect feedback and communicate back

Product-led organizations understand that user feedback is critical for building the best product possible. They create scalable, two-way feedback processes that capture the voice of the customer and help inform their roadmap and innovation strategies.


Companies both big and small are experiencing the benefits of being product led.

Apprentissage
29 %

increase in feature adoption

Customer service
43

point increase in NPS in six months

Employee training
70%

usability improvement in employee apps

Financial services firm

In-app communication
33 %

higher adoption of a new feature

Product development
99 %

reduction in tickets

Croissance
28 %

d'augmentation du taux de conversion


Pendo helps every part of your business become product led.

We believe the best work and life experiences begin with the best product experiences—and that people and teams across your company have a critical role to play in shaping them.

When you use product analytics to understand how your customers use your products, you can make cross-functional, data-informed decisions about how to improve their experiences.

When you can engage users within the context of your product using in-app communication, you can meet them exactly where they are, when they need you the most—all while creating moments of delight.

And when you can encourage, gather, and act on feedback at scale, you can build loyalty and help your teams focus on the right—and most rewarding—tasks.


We’re with you at every step of your product-led journey. Let’s get started.