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How Startups Challenge the Status Quo and Win
Getting past the gatekeeper of the old system
People hate change. But some people just plain love the freaking status quo. What do you do when these people are your potential customers?
Whether it’s a potential customer with my product or my Mom with a mobile app, when I make a qualified and quantified case as to how this new thing will improve their lives, and they agree with me, but they still don’t want it, it’s maddening.
Of course I can forgive my mom. You always forgive your mom. Her resistance is still based in fear of change. This is natural, and the best way I’ve found to overcome that fear is to do it for her for a while. I do the same thing for my customers, maybe with support, or a demo, or these days even within the product itself.
But when customers refuse to use something that they accept is better, easier, cheaper, more secure, and more robust, there’s usually something else going on — especially if those customers are businesses and not consumers.
That customer is in love with the status quo, because in the status quo, they have found power.
