I have become convinced that high level salespeople are the greatest ally to the design process because their interactions with qualified prospects harvest invaluable insights from objections, and sales inhibitors.
Adherence to traditional channels of communication can restrict access to the insights from product demos and POCs. Even if such information is strictly synthesized through the product manager, I’m nonetheless an advocate for designers to get to know co-workers involved in the acquisition of customers.
I’ve experienced that feedback from solution architects in the field, and a bird’s eye view from the top sales executive, have both turned into some of the most important information for design to be a strategic advantage to the company.
If your startup needs help with this, contact me on Slack.