One lesson we’ve learned at Brew & Scone is that starting a business requires you to believe strongly in your idea, but not so strongly that you stop listening.

Your first product, price, package, marketing message, or even your original target customer may not be what ultimately works. Customers will tell you a great deal if you pay attention. Sometimes they tell you directly. Other times, they tell you through what they buy, what they ignore, what they ask about, and what brings them back.

For a startup, changing direction isn't necessarily a sign that the original idea failed. It can mean you're learning.

Our advice is simple: start with a clear idea, test it in the real world, listen carefully, and be willing to improve it. Don’t spend all your energy trying to prove that your original idea was right. Spend it discovering what your customers actually value.

A challenge for fellow entrepreneurs:

What is one thing about your business that your customers may already be telling you to change, but you haven't been willing to change yet?

Join the conversation. Share your experience, and tell us what you learned from listening, or not listening, to your customers.