The Danger Of Vanity Development

One of the biggest mistakes SaaS product teams make is engaging in what I call “vanity development." This happens when companies build features that are not driven by client needs, such as copying competitor features or chasing shiny technology ideas without validating actual demand.

I've found that these projects burn engineering time but rarely move the client’s business forward. If you prioritize internal metrics or feature accumulation over client outcomes, your platform becomes a vanity platform.

The company ultimately struggles because clients stop relying on it for core business outcomes, and they eventually cancel or abandon it altogether. Product roadmaps should be driven by client outcomes, adoption data and direct feedback from those operating on the platform on a daily basis.

The Domino Effect Of Client Success

In usage-based SaaS models, client success shows up quickly. When platform usage grows, it usually means the client is generating more revenue through the system.

If a client doubles their SaaS spend, their profit should grow multiples beyond that. A platform must produce multiples in ROI, not just incremental gains. When that happens, I've noticed that the growth loop becomes obvious: They spend more, they stay longer and they refer new clients.

In fact, I've found that one successful enterprise client will often refer industry peers. Those referrals tend to be the highest-quality clients because they operate similar models and trust the recommendation.

That’s why customer success needs to be commercially aligned and not just technical or relational—so they can identify growth opportunities and ensure platform usage actually improves client revenue.

Building For Speed, Flexibility And Scale

When translating client feedback into product, one rule matters: Never build exactly what a single client asks for. Instead, product teams must "vanillify" the request, generalizing so the feature works across industries, scales properly and remains flexible for future use cases.

At my company, I've found that the most valuable features are the ones that improve speed and operational flexibility for the user.

Another important layer is managed services. Even the best platform only delivers value if clients implement and operate it correctly. Many companies have the strategy but lack the internal resources to move quickly enough.​

That’s where managed services come in, not as a substitute for the platform but as an accelerator. To do this, businesses need to work directly with clients to configure workflows, optimize routing and implement performance strategies that drive measurable results.

​The goal is simple: Reduce the time between platform adoption and meaningful ROI. When clients move faster, I've found that they often see results sooner, scale usage more confidently and unlock the full value of the system.

The Ultimate Test For Founders And CEOs

Building a strong SaaS platform requires builders who deeply understand the industry, speak the same language as their clients and know exactly what drives performance in that space. Every feature should move one of three outcomes: helping clients make more money, move faster or scale their operation.

If you want to know if your SaaS company is on the right track, ask yourself one honest question: Would you choose to use your own software if you were one of your clients?

If the answer is not always yes, your product has gaps you need to fix. It forces you to evaluate the platform honestly, identify functionality gaps and abandon internal assumptions in favor of real customer needs.

Build for your client's success, and your company's success will follow.​​

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