What strategies do you recommend to stay connected to users throughout development?

People are attracted to growth. That's about it.

I think it' s important to communicate regularly on product updates. I think a great tool for that is a tool like Canny (https://canny.io/) or Featurebase (https://www.featurebase.app/) You can collect Feedback, user can vote and priorise, you can share your roadmap and finaly your changelog. It only works if you can get people to register on the platform, of course. Another approach is to open a community chat on Slack or Discord, but it's not easy to get people to join in.

Here are a few strategies I’ve found effective: 1. Early Feedback Loops: Involve users early by running beta programs, surveys, or even simple polls to gauge interest and direction. 2. Community Engagement: Build a community around your product (forums, social media groups, or Discord) to give users a platform to share ongoing feedback. 3. Transparent Roadmaps: Sharing your product roadmap with users builds trust and shows them how their input shapes future updates. 4. Consistent Check-ins: Regular updates through email newsletters, blogs, or videos keep users in the loop and make them feel valued.

-> Build in public. Transparency will play a key role here. Share your wins/losses openly. You will get absolute raw feedback. That way you can connect with your users and/or potential customers, brand's trust gets built-up naturally, the users feel as part of the journey. You'll eventually build-up your own loyal community. -> Have a 1:1 meet with some of your users from time-to-time. Hearing their thoughts firsthand is invaluable.

Nice ideas! A few more I'd add: 1. User Interviews: Scheduling regular 1-on-1 chats with active users to get detailed qual insights. 2. Public Product Board: Tools like Canny or Trello let users upvote features & see progress. Helps prioritize the roadmap based on demand. 3. Metrics Monitoring: Tracking key usage & satisfaction metrics to spot trends early. Shows if dev work is moving the needle or not. Definitely a mix of qual feedback loops & quant metrics FTW!

Definitely agree with the strategies you shared! A few other ideas: 1. User Interviews: Regularly chat with users 1:1 to really understand their needs, challenges and wishlist items. 2. Feature Voting: Let users upvote the features they want most to help prioritize your roadmap. 3. Feedback Widgets: Embed a widget or link in your app/site to make it easy for users to share input anytime. 4. Changelog Notifications: Alert users in-app whenever you ship updates so they see constant progress. Staying connected is key!

A feedback loop engaging users at every stage. Using surveys, interviews, and beta testing to gather input, ensuring features aligning with their needs. Or using social media group or forums where users can discuss their experiences and provide suggestions on how to improve the product would be also nice