Customer Value

Comparing Level 1 and Level 2

Level 1

Level 2

Description

At Level 1, customer value starts with recognizing that your work contributes to something bigger. You may not yet know how to define or measure value, but you’re learning to ask how what you’re building actually helps the customer. You begin to notice that clean code and working features aren’t enough—what matters is whether they solve the right problem. You’re learning to see through the customer’s eyes, even if you’re not yet shaping what they receive.

Description

At Level 2, you start to actively shape customer value. You’re learning to define what success looks like and to measure whether your work achieves it. You’re beginning to think about the customer’s experience holistically, considering how your contributions fit into the bigger picture. You’re developing the ability to prioritize work that delivers the most impact, even if it means saying no to less important tasks.

Key Behaviors

  • •
    Asks how their work connects to customer goals or problems
  • •
    Pays attention when product or support teams share customer feedback
  • •
    Takes note of features or bugs that impact user trust or satisfaction
  • •
    Begins to understand how their work contributes to delivering outcomes
  • •
    Recognizes the difference between output and value

Key Behaviors

  • •
    Defines success criteria for their work
  • •
    Considers customer experience when making decisions
  • •
    Prioritizes tasks based on impact
  • •
    Collaborates with product teams to understand customer needs
  • •
    Seeks feedback to validate assumptions

Common Struggles

  • May focus only on building things correctly, not on solving the right problem
  • Can conflate technical completion with customer success
  • Might hesitate to ask about customer context

Common Struggles

  • May struggle to balance technical and customer priorities
  • Can overlook the broader impact of their work
  • Might hesitate to challenge assumptions

Success Indicators

  • Show curiosity about whether what you're building will truly help someone
  • Begin to differentiate between "what works" and "what matters"
  • Ask how your team will know if a change is valuable
  • Care about whether your work makes a real difference—not just whether it gets merged

Success Indicators

  • Define clear success metrics for your work
  • Think about how your contributions fit into the customer journey
  • Prioritize tasks that deliver the most value
  • Collaborate with others to ensure alignment on customer goals

Mindset Shift

From:

"Did I build it right?"

To:

"Did it solve the customer’s problem?"

Mindset Shift

From:

"What’s my task?"

To:

"What’s the customer’s goal?"

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What outcome is this feature or fix meant to improve?
  • What does success look like from the customer’s point of view?
  • How would we know if this didn’t actually help?

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • How does this work improve the customer experience?
  • What metrics will show that this is successful?
  • Are there better ways to achieve the desired outcome?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Ask product or support teammates about recent customer wins or pain points
  • 2
    Skim user research or customer responses when available
  • 3
    Reflect on whether your most recent work delivered visible value

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Discuss customer goals with your team regularly
  • 2
    Review success metrics for your work
  • 3
    Reflect on how your contributions impact the customer journey

Seek Feedback

  • "What’s the customer need behind this ticket?"
  • "Is this the best way to solve the real problem?"
  • "How do we know this is working for users?"

Seek Feedback

  • "Does this align with customer priorities?"
  • "Are we solving the right problem effectively?"
  • "What could improve the customer experience further?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • You talk about outcomes, not just tickets
  • You bring customer impact into planning conversations
  • You care about solving the right problems—not just building fast

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • You define success criteria for your work
  • You prioritize tasks based on customer impact
  • You collaborate effectively to align on customer goals

Focus Summary

  • Ask what matters
  • Look for outcomes
  • Begin with impact

At Level 1, customer value is about curiosity. It’s the moment you realize your work is more than a task list—it’s part of someone’s success.

Focus Summary

  • Define success
  • Think holistically
  • Prioritize impact

At Level 2, customer value is about shaping outcomes. It’s the moment you start to see your work as part of a larger system that delivers real impact.