The problem
A design automation software company had a new product for a gap in its verification suite, but no structured way to beta test it, enable customers or roll it out commercially.
What I did
As a principal solutions engineer, I helped validate the market gap and then helped launch the product, developing the go-to-market process with R&D and working closely with customers, sales, marketing and support. I designed and ran a beta programme with select customers, fed what they told us back to R&D, and recruited more beta customers to widen the testing. I created training material for the support teams and for customers, and marketing collateral setting out the product’s value.
The part that made the biggest difference was a series of customer advisory sessions in which beta customers shared their experience with prospective customers. That turned early adopters into advocates and moved knowledge between customers without us pushing it.
The result
The launch generated $15M+ in new revenue from more than ten customers, and adoption moved faster because of the peer advocacy. The programme became a repeatable go-to-market framework for later launches, and it taught me how much an early customer can do for a product when you give them a stage.