Product testing mindset 101

As we enter a new year, I thought it was worthwhile to go into the topic of product testing and how it has served the growth of Vertical Ledge over the last 3 years.

What is Product Testing?

• Product testing:

  • Testing with custom orders 

    • AKA user testing 

  • Testing with micro launches with limited runs 

    • Allows us to give a healthy amount of runway time before putting in a larger order 

      • If the product sells out in pre-order, we double the next batch and set that for pre-order in limited amounts

Why use Product Testing?

• Drive out any kinks in the design 

• Looking for things that don't work or sit right 

• Figuring out the right dimensions for each niche 

• Not take a loss in business 

  • Because everything rolls out in soft launches via pre-sale, we cover a lot of our overhead and if the product flops, at least the DIE-hard fans got what they wanted 

  • Additionally, there is always room for custom orders 

    • Once we launch an item, and if it doesn't move, we can move it to our catalog for specialty order 

      • We already have the files and worked out the kinks, so it's easy to send to our manufacturing team 

  • Mindset shift from, “everything I do has to be successful or I am a failure” → 

    • “not everything I create has to manufacture success to it”

    •  “I can learn from each launch”

    •  “what I create holds value for SOMEONE (even if its a one-off design)” 

  • Suddenly, instead of the weight or burden of success and needing to be perfect to launch, we have joy in the creation 

    • Moved from stress to excitement 

    • Moved from burden to blessing 

• Serve our audience with products that will actually be useful 

  • Often times in design, we want to create things we THINK are good, but you have to constantly put yourself in check 

    • Think about the customer, the end-user first- find the problems and struggle they are dealing with and solve those 

    • We’ve noticed that once we focus on the NEED, the design can come to a lot easier than designing from our own wants and desires 

• Be creative and allow our creativity to flow 

  • Beta testing via small launches allows us to create fun products that don't necessarily have to manufacture in large quantities

How?

• User feedback: 

  • Polling Fridays via IG stories 

    • Instant feedback from our direct customers and community 

    • Can offer coffee and a stand if we’re hoping to have a bigger turnout (usually once a month or so) 

  • Post feedback 

    • Ask for feedback on an IG Feed post 

      • Gets the conversations going

      • Gets in front of the diehard audience 

  • Reel conversation 

    • Post a reel with a conversation topic 

    • This is great for quick comments 

    • Gets in front of your more engaged bye-standard audience 

• Custom Orders 

  • The easiest way to launch a product is through custom order requests. 

    • We make the stand to their needs, then refine it to match our broader audience 

    • This is how we’ve launched so many products over the years that explode a do really well 

    • It is a direct solution to someone and it leads to many other people as well