Why the Real Customer for Your Product May Not Be the End User

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A developer exploring collaboration tools for game development drew a key insight from an analysis of Ticketmaster's business model. Ticketmaster grew by prioritizing venues as its primary customers rather than the ticket-buying public. This prompted reflection on who the true customer is for a proposed tool aimed at reducing merge conflicts in game development workflows. Potential customers identified include student developers, team leads, instructors, and indie studios, with student teams chosen as the initial focus due to their direct experience with the problem. The core lesson is that the user, customer, and payer are often distinct roles, and recognizing this early can fundamentally shape how a product is designed.

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