Why we decided to go on a customer tour

We are not a SaaS company. At Syncly, we’re selling more than just a SaaS product. Yes, we provide powerful solutions, but what our customers truly pay for is our unwavering attention and the promises we, the founders, make to them.

Our customers don’t choose us simply for the AI features, though they’re very advanced. We’re also not the cheapest option on the market. We know AI—after all, it’s what we do—but we’re no OpenAI. What sets us apart is that our customers trust us to solve their problems. When we commit to partnering with them, they know we’ll deliver.

To truly live up to this, we realized we needed to dig deeper into our customers' pain points. So, Alex and I asked ourselves, "What better way than to meet them face-to-face?" We knew it would stretch us thin, but this was something we had to do.

That’s how the Syncly customer tour began.

• 3 red-eye flights across 2 continents in 12 days

• Over 15 customers and friends met

• Sitting in on weekly VoC/Product meetings

• Late-night sessions to roll out the next product update as fast as possible

As Y Combinator advises, "Don't be afraid to do things that don't scale." And if that means hopping on the next red-eye to solve a customer’s problem, we’re ready.

Here are the key takeaways from our tour—and why every founder should do this.

Takeaways from the tour and the reasons why founders should do this

Maximizing efficiency through in-person meetings

In-person meetings are unmatched in terms of efficiency. We scheduled 2 to 2.5-hour sessions with our customers, and in that time, we accomplished what would have taken at least three separate Zoom meetings over three weeks. We delivered on small feature requests immediately, onboarded broader teams to Syncly, discussed success criteria, and reviewed our progress—all in one sitting. Face-to-face interaction allows for a level of multitasking and focus that virtual meetings simply can’t replicate.

Alignment with customers

These meetings weren’t just about solving immediate problems—they were about aligning our long-term vision with our customers. We shared our mission and product vision, listened to their ideas, and built on that shared understanding. It gave us deep insights into how our customers’ workflows have evolved since adopting Syncly. I left each meeting energized with a clearer sense of our product roadmap and excited about delivering even more value to our customers.

Inspiration from founders

One of the highlights of the tour was connecting with other founders. We learned so much about the entrepreneurial journey of our customers, like Tyler Infelise, Owen Savir, and Ale Resnik of Belong (You can read Belong's use case here). Their story of helping early renters move in and celebrating with balloons and photos—creating "Kodak moments"—was a perfect example of “doing things that don’t scale.” As a fellow founder, these conversations were both motivational and reassuring, showing that our customer tour was the right move.

Uncovering new use cases

Seeing how our clients are implementing Syncly has been incredibly insightful. During our meetings, we got to observe Syncly in action. This hands-on exposure gave us a clear picture of how different teams—from managers to individual contributors—use our platform and what they aim to achieve. One standout moment was in Canada, where a client shared how they were using our Customer Sentiment Analysis feature not just for CX and Product insights, but also to identify customers who could provide marketing testimonials. It was exciting to see how clients are expanding the use of Syncly in innovative ways.

The power of personal connection

Personal connections make all the difference. Whether it was meeting new clients introduced by our existing customers or reconnecting with those we hadn’t spoken to in a while, these in-person visits advanced our relationships in ways that virtual interactions couldn’t. As Ryan Neu (CEO at Vendr) once said in a Y Combinator session, “Don’t try to solve customers’ problems only with your product. Sell yourself as a founder.” Meeting in person allowed us to do just that, sharing our passion for Syncly and our commitment to their success.

Redefining the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

This tour also gave us a fresh perspective on our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). While we typically focus on quantitative factors—like company size, function, and tech stack—we learned that many of our most engaged users are CEOs and co-founders deeply involved in product and customer experience. One fascinating insight from this tour was how deeply involved CEOs and co-founders are in customer experience and product improvement. Despite being mid to enterprise-level companies, these leaders actively participate in discussions every week, staying grounded and engaged. It was gratifying to see that we are supporting companies that maintain a strong focus on customer experience and product excellence, validating the idea that businesses obsessed with customer experience tend to grow rapidly.

Conclusion

We’ll be back soon with more insights from the tour, along with testimonials from some of our most thankful customers. Stay tuned for stories that highlight how Syncly is making a difference.