Products as Operating System for X
Side note: This article was written in December 2021 and first published in my 30 Days of Growth newsletter — you can subscribe to the newsletter here and get the eBook here. Please forgive any inaccurate data or things that might have changed.
I’ve always thought of new product features as a way to grow startups. Adding new services, products or features that are analogous to your core product is a great way to increase the lifetime value of your customers and make your product even more sticky.
I’m a huge fan of the Afrobility podcast. In almost every episode, the hosts Olumide and Bankole talk about African tech businesses and their product strategy as Operating Systems for X.
At the core of a computer’s life is the operating system. Operating Systems are a critical analogy for tech businesses. An operating system on any computer is the most vital piece of software. It manages the computer’s operations and is charged with deciding: how the computer manages resources efficiently, how files are shared & accessed, what administrative privileges are available for the user, what type of software are allowed, how it accesses the internet, how different communication protocols interact with each other and a bunch of other controls. Coincidentally, OS class was one of my favourite classes in university — truly remarkable and fascinating stuff.
Product and Growth professionals must think of their products as Operating Systems for the customer. How can you continually enable the customer to achieve their goals within your niche? How can a healthcare service allow easy transfer of information between hospitals as patients move or allow sharing of information(securely) with a patient’s fitness app? How can a savings app allow its customers to access loans since it already knows their savings habits? How can an invoicing app for SMEs enable their customers to receive payments?
Operating System thinking not only provides value to your customer but also helps companies create large moats — making it more difficult for customers to switch to a competitor or alternative service provider.
How can you make your product like an Operating System? Imagine your smartphone or computer without Android, iOS, Windows or macOS. Core to the user’s life and inseparable.
This article was written in December 2021 and first published in my 30 Days of Growth newsletter — you can subscribe to the newsletter here and get the eBook here. Please forgive any inaccurate data or things that might have changed.
I write about technology, startups, work and growth marketing. If you enjoyed this, you’d love my newsletter.
