Recently, I was talking to a colleague who was in the market for a new toaster. He lamented the vast number of options and choices available (e.g., defrost, extra wide for bagels, digital display, 4-slice, reheat, etc.) when all he wanted was one that would simply brown bread evenly on both sides.

In tech product management and marketing, we oftentimes become so enamored with the features of the toaster that we lose sight of what the customer really cares about: the toast.

Do your customers buy toasters or toast?

Make sure you understand the difference when planning and launching your next product.