Find Product Using Serial Number

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Derrick Drescher

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Aug 3, 2024, 4:12:34 PM8/3/24

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So I racked my brain for an answer on how to travel the distance between where Superhuman was and the high bar that we needed to hit. And I eventually started to wonder: what if you could measure product/market fit? Because if you could measure product/market fit, then maybe you could optimize it. And then maybe you could systematically increase product/market fit until you achieved it.

Reoriented around this purpose and reinvigorated by the new direction, I set out to reverse engineer a process for getting to product/market fit. Below, I outline the findings that followed, specifically unpacking the clarifying metric that made everything fall into place and the four-step process we used to build an engine that propelled Superhuman forward on the path to finding our fit.

Determined to move the needle, I became singularly focused on ways to improve our product/market fit score. The responses to each survey question would be key ingredients in what became the framework for fulfilling our goal.

To go even deeper, I wanted to better understand these users who really loved our product. I hoped to paint as vivid a picture of them as possible, so I could galvanize the whole team to serve them better.

This is a very powerful question, as happy users will almost always describe themselves, not other people, using the words that matter most to them. This lets you know who the product is working for and the language that resonates with them (providing valuable kernels of insight for your marketing copy as well).

With our HXC in mind, we had a tool to focus the entire company on serving that narrow segment better than anybody else. Some may find this approach too limiting, arguing that you shouldn't narrow in on such a specific customer base early on.

In essence, it's better to make something that a small number of people want a large amount, rather than a product that a large number of people want a small amount. In my view, the product/market fit engine process of narrowing the market massively optimizes for a product that a small number of people want a large amount.

To fine-tune who we took our cues from, we segmented once again. From analyzing our third survey question, we knew that happy Superhuman users enjoyed speed as their main benefit, so we used this as a filter for the somewhat disappointed group:

With a clear understanding of our main benefit and the missing features, all we had to do was funnel these insights back into how we were building Superhuman. Implementing this segmented feedback would help the somewhat disappointed users get off the fence and move into the territory of enthusiastic advocates.

To stack-rank amongst these initiatives, we used a very simple cost-impact analysis: we labelled each potential project as low/medium/high cost, and similarly low/medium/high impact. For the second half of the roadmap, addressing what held people back, the impact was clear from the number of requests any given improvement had. For the first half of the roadmap, doubling down on what people love, we had to intuit the impact. This is where "product instinct" comes in, and that's a function of experience and deeply empathizing with users. (The HXC profile exercise from earlier helps a great deal with developing this muscle.)

The percent of users who answered "very disappointed" quickly became our most important number. It was our most highly visible metric, and we tracked it on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. To make this easier to measure over time, we built some custom tooling to constantly survey new users and update our aggregate numbers for each timeframe. We also refocused the product team, creating an OKR where the only key result was the very disappointed percentage so we could ensure that we continually increased our product/market fit.

Reorienting Superhuman around this single metric paid off. When we started this journey in the summer of 2017, our product/market fit score was 22%. After segmenting to focus on the very disappointed set of users, we were at 33%. Within just three quarters of our work to improve the product, the score nearly doubled to 58%.

In the twists and turns of following this process, I found a way to define product/market fit and a metric to measure it. Our team had a single number to rally around instead of an abstract goal that left us feeling hopeless. By surveying our users, segmenting our supporters, learning what users loved and what held them back, and then dividing a roadmap between the two, we found a methodology to increase product/market fit.

Product Type (Optional)Air Conditioner Coil CleanersAircraft Cleaning ProductsAll-Purpose CleanersAppliance CleanersAthletic Field PaintsAutomatic Dishwasher DetergentsBiological-Based Products : BioremediatorsBiological-Based Products : Drain MaintainersBiological-Based Products : Grease Trap/Lift Station MaintainersBiological-Based Products : Septic System TreatmentsBiological-Based Products : Wastewater InoculantsBrick and Masonry CleanersBrush WashesCar Care ProductsCarpet Care Products : CleanersCarpet Care Products: Spot RemoversDegreasersDeicersDescalersDish SoapsDry Erase Board CleanersDust Control ProductsFire Defense ProductsFloor Care Products : Floor CleanersFloor Care Products : Floor FinishesFloor Care Products : Floor StrippersGranite/Stone CleanersHand SoapsHVAC MaintenanceKitchen/Countertop CleanersLaundry Products : Fabric SoftenersLaundry Products : Laundry Detergent BoostersLaundry Products : Laundry DetergentsLaundry Products : Pre-TreatersLeather CleanersMarine/RV CleanersMedical Instrument CleanersMetal Cleaner/PolishesOdor RemoversOther Home ProductsOther Business ProductsOven/Grill/Barbeque CleanersParts WashersPet Care ProductsRinse AidsStainless Steel CleanersToilet Bowl CleanersTub/Tile CleanersUpholstery CleanersWindow/Glass CleanersWood Cleaners

1Safer Choice has verified that these products meet the Safer Choice Criteria for Fragrance-Free Products.
2Safer Choice encourages limiting direct releases to the environment. Where marketed for outdoor use, Safer Choice-labeled products must contain chemicals that meet the Safer Choice Criteria for Chemicals in Direct Release Products.
3Note that the number of entries in this table does not correspond to the number of products certified by the Safer Choice program. A product will have multiple entries in this table if it is listed for both Home and Business use and/or if it is listed under multiple product types.

Product ID is also referred to as an ASIN. You can find the ASIN for a product on the Amazon retail web site, as part of the product detail page. You can simply go to the product detail page and find the ASIN in the Product Details section.

Some products come in multiple variations, such as size or color. Variations have a parent-child relationship. The main product is the parent, with each unique variation a child. Both the parent and each child have their own unique ASIN. If you would like to retrieve information for a specific variation, you can simply use that variation's ASIN. Generally, it's best to use the ASIN for the main product. If the variations are priced differently, then a price range is returned.

For Smoke and CO Alarms: The model number is located on the back label on your alarm. To find it you'll need to remove your alarm from the ceiling or wall. Most alarms are attached to a mounting plate and can be removed by turning the alarm counterclockwise. See the alarm removal instructions for details. The number will be labeled MODEL.

Firex Alarms: If you look at the back of the alarm, you will see where the text is split into two columns, with text on the left and text on the right. The model is the text on the top of the left hand column after "Model."

The GS1 Registries are a set of global, neutral and trusted registries managed by GS1 offering companies and trading partners access to foundational information about products, locations and companies identified with a GS1 identifier. All of this data from the GS1 Registries is accessible through a service called Verified by GS1.

Data about GS1-issued identity within the GS1 Registries is trusted because it is sourced directly from the owner of those GS1 identification keys. Data providers (brand owners, manufacturers, distributors) can upload data about products, locations and companies into the GS1 Registries by using the Activate-grade services (including capabilities to upload data via an interface or API) offered by their local GS1 Member Organisations.

Companies, globally, can access the GS1 Registries by querying through the Verified by GS1 service to verify product, company and location identification and receive an answer to the following questions:

The second level of information that can often be provided is core information about a specific product, place or company. This data is normally limited to a handful of very foundational pieces of information that would be enough to, for example, ensure that a specific GS1-issued number is what your business thinks that it is. This is useful when your company is onboarding products that are new to your catalogues or when your company is looking to add simple validations to some of your business messaging, invoicing or shipping processes.

As a single, trusted source of verifiable product, company and location information, Verified by GS1 creates greater efficiency and trust amongst business partners and government entities, specifically:

FCC IDs are usually shown on a label found on a certified radio frequency device and indicates that the device has received a FCC grant of certification. If a device has a built-in display, the FCC ID may be provided electronically. Check the instruction in the User Manual to find the FCC ID information. The FCC rules require that most devices be authorized before they can legally be imported or sold in the United States. These rules also require that labels with the information prescribed by the FCC be affixed or accompany the device. However, not all devices approved for sale and operation by the FCC rules require an FCC ID number.