Lori Greiner Shares 6 Simple Rules to Tell If Your Product Will Be a Hit or a Miss
Lori Greiner shares 6 proven rules to turn product ideas into hits, covering mass appeal, pricing, uniqueness, and solving real problems.
Lori Greiner, known as the “Queen of QVC” and a long-time Shark Tank investor, has developed over 1,000 products. With decades of success in bringing ideas to life, she recently shared her six rules that every entrepreneur should follow when creating a product. These aren’t just suggestions—they’re time-tested truths from someone who knows what it takes to scale a product to millions.
1. Does it have broad, mass appeal?
Greiner starts with the most important question: Will this product appeal to a wide audience?
If your product is too niche, it may never grow beyond a small market. A scalable product needs to speak to everyday needs across a large group of people.
2. Does it solve a real problem?
The second rule is all about functionality and relevance. Your product must tackle an issue people actively face—whether it’s about saving time, reducing frustration, or saving money.
If your idea doesn’t improve life in a meaningful way, it’s unlikely to survive in the market.
3. Is it unique or different enough to stand out?
In a sea of products, blending in is a death sentence. Greiner insists that your product must offer something new.
Being distinct can mean a unique feature, a better design, or a more efficient function—but it has to stand out from the crowd.
4. Can it be made at an affordable price?
Even great products fail if they’re too expensive to produce.
Lori emphasizes the importance of margins: a product must be affordable to make and profitable to sell.
Balancing quality with cost is key to staying competitive.
5. Do people actually want it?
Interest is not enough—there must be urgency.
People should feel the need to buy your product now, not “someday.”
This rule highlights the importance of emotional and practical triggers in buying behavior.
6. Does it fill a clear gap in the market?
Lastly, Lori asks: What makes this product better than what already exists?
If there’s already a similar solution, yours must be better, faster, cheaper—or different in a way that matters.
Whether you’re developing your first prototype or preparing to pitch investors, keep these six rules in mind. They reflect not just product wisdom—but a mindset for building lasting success.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
Lori Greiner shares 6 essential rules for product success—covering mass appeal, real problems, uniqueness, affordability, urgency, and market gaps.
