The customer council is one of the best kept secrets of product management and company strategy. Unlike an advisory board, with specialists who often have a closer relationship with the company or even a personal relationship to the CEO, a customer council consists of ordinary users who can give their unvarnished feedback on the product directly to the company. Many startups fail to take advantage of this powerful tool because of a simple lack of familiarity, so here is an overview of what a customer council is and why to suggest your portfolio companies consider using them.
