Whenever I have a positive or negative experience with an early startup, I always reach out to the CEO via LinkedIn.
It shocks me how rarely they respond.
Positive experiences lead to messages like:
“Heya, CEO. I recently used your product for the first time and I’m a huge fan. If you have 15 minutes, I’d love to connect with you to 1) tell you what resonated so strongly with your product and 2) make myself available as a sounding board in case you ever want another person for customer discovery.”
Negative experiences lead to messages like:
“Heya, CEO. I recently had a pretty miserable experience with your product and I’m bummed because the idea behind it really resonates with me. If you have 15 minutes, I’d love to walk through what my expectations were going in, what I actually experienced, and where the delta really created unhappiness.”
Yes, I am probably a total Karen here.
But, founders, even mid-staged founders, your most engaged customers are a gift. We care so much that we’ll track you down in an attempt to give you love and feedback. Not making time to at least respond via text is an act of hubris few of you can afford.