WHEN CUSTOMER OBSESSION BACKFIRES: THE NETFLIX VS. BLACKBERRY LESSON

Summary from the TLDR Founders newsletter

Sometimes being customer-obsessed can work against you. BlackBerry listened to feedback about wanting better keyboards and perfected them, yet completely ignored the shift toward touchscreens that the iPhone represented. History shows it failed spectacularly. The difference comes down to the Einstellung effect, where expertise creates blindness to better solutions. Founders need to distinguish temporary customer truths like physical keyboards from permanent human needs like efficient communication. This article offers frameworks, including physics-first analysis and monthly anti-expertise audits, where you argue against your strongest beliefs.