I’m teaching programming at night, but my day work is still building software for clients. I have two current projects that are both similar and different to each other. For the past couple of months, I’ve been working with both clients to build tools to help them collect data from their users for the purpose of improvement.

One client, a for-profit organization, collects data about its customers and their use of its services and products. The goal being to learn what is most valuable to their customer.

Another client, a non-profit organization, is also collecting data from its ‘customers’ or program participants. The similar goal also being to learn what is most valuable to its customer.

Both clients want to see their customers succeed.

For the for-profit, the value provided should be great enough so that the customer continues to use their products and services. They are looking for customer retention and to reduce customer churn.

For the non-profit, the value provided should be great enough so that the customer is “promoted” to a position in which their program is no longer needed. Essentially, they are looking for the opposite. They want their customers to graduate beyond them and “churn.”

“What does it mean?”

It is interesting that both clients understand the importance of data collection and analysis for success. I do not think that for-profit and non-profit are opposite industries, but in this scenario their success outcomes are opposites.

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Sidenote: If you are in the bay area tomorrow, join my client as they celebrate their ‘customer success’. Attend the Hack the Hood graduation party. The students have been working hard all summer learning web technology skills. Come meet the graduates and support this awesome organization as they are really changing lives. Tickets can be purchased here.