What Customers Ask For vs. What They Actually Want

SimpliSafe was built for renters. Renters didn't buy it. Homeowners did. Jason has told that story for years, because it's a perfect lesson in how founders get their customer wrong. But he never asked the obvious follow-up: once you finally find the right customer, then what? Now, 20 years in, SimpliSafe founder Chad Laurans and CEO Hilary Schneider reveal what comes after product-market fit, and why customers asking for "more cameras" didn't actually want more cameras. This episode of Problem Solvers is presented by AT&T Business. To learn more about how the right connectivity can help support your business as it grows, visit att.com/smallbusiness. Jason wants to help solve your impossible problem! Click the link below to sign up: https://entm.ag/levelup2026 0:00 The "faster horses" myth 0:29 Welcome to Problem Solvers 0:46 The SimpliSafe origin story: renters vs. homeowners 2:21 What happens after product-market fit? 2:55 Meet the guests 3:47 What product-market fit actually feels like 5:11 Should you build everything customers ask for? 6:11 Why you have to keep asking "why" 7:14 From "more cameras" to crime prevention 8:17 Fact check: Henry Ford never said it 9:22 What customers really want: peace of mind 10:02 Making a costly service profitable with AI 11:44 Launching a product that doesn't scale yet 13:48 Why big companies forget to prototype 16:51 Build things you're willing to throw away 18:26 What's next for SimpliSafe 19:48 The innovator's dilemma of a cheaper product 20:31 Mining customer support calls for insight 21:52 Go back to what made you great 23:22 The mission: every home secure 23:57 Long-term value comes from creating value 26:33 Wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices