How to Build Products That Customers Actually Love? Ex-Trade Republic Product Lead Explains

About this episode

David Schreiber knows both sides of product development: As former Head of Product at Trade Republic and Stripe, he's shaped both B2C and B2B products that delight millions of users. Today, he's building Duna, an identity infrastructure company, and shares his insights on how product philosophies differ between Europe and the US – and why this matters for founders.

US vs. Europe: Two Different Product Worlds

The differences in product development between the US and Europe are fundamental. While American companies often focus on rapid scaling and aggressive expansion, European teams take a more pragmatic approach. "European product teams often think more complexly and consider regulatory aspects from the start," explains Schreiber.

This difference becomes particularly evident in B2B infrastructure. Europe actually offers advantages here: the willingness to tackle complex problems thoughtfully makes European founders ideal candidates for sophisticated B2B solutions.

Vision vs. Pragmatism: Finding the Right Balance

A central theme for product managers is balancing grand vision with practical execution. Schreiber emphasizes: The key lies in having a clear long-term vision while moving forward in small, measurable steps.

For B2B products, this approach differs significantly from B2C. While consumer products often rely on emotional reactions and virality, B2B is about measurable business outcomes and ROI.

How AI is Changing Product Development

The AI revolution is turning established product principles upside down. Traditional "moats" – like proprietary data or complex technology – are losing relevance. Instead, network effects and customer trust are becoming the decisive competitive advantages.

For Duna, this means: Instead of just building a product, Schreiber is developing a network. The identity infrastructure becomes more valuable the more participants use it.

Go-to-Market: Co-Development as Strategy

For market entry, Schreiber relies on co-development with selected customers. This strategy offers several advantages:

• –Direct feedback during development
• –Strong customer loyalty from the start
• –Reduced product risk through validated requirements

The first customers are crucial. "We won our first customers between Christmas and launch," reports Schreiber. The key: finding the right partners who are willing to experiment together.

Pricing: Business Case Instead of Hidden Fees

For pricing, Duna follows a transparent approach. Instead of relying on hidden fees, pricing is based on the customer's business case. Success-based models ensure customers only pay when they actually receive value.

This approach also influences Net Revenue Retention (NRR): customers stay longer because the value is clearly measurable.

Product-Market Fit: Think Multidimensionally

Product-Market Fit isn't binary – it's a spectrum. Schreiber distinguishes between "good enough" and "magic." While "good enough" suffices to win first customers, you need "magic" for real scaling.

Segmentation plays an important role here. Different customer segments have different definitions of Product-Market Fit. What works for startups doesn't automatically work for enterprise customers.

The Next Three Years: From Product to Network

For Duna, the vision is clear: over the next three years, the company should evolve from a product provider to a network. The more companies use the identity infrastructure, the more valuable it becomes for all participants.

Why Europe is the Right Location

Despite all discussions about Silicon Valley as the startup mecca, Schreiber sees Europe as the ideal location for certain business models. Particularly for complex B2B infrastructure that requires regulatory compliance and thoughtful architecture, European teams play to their strengths.

The combination of technical excellence, pragmatic approach, and regulatory know-how makes Europe an underestimated location advantage for ambitious B2B founders.

Conclusion: Product Development as Art Form

David Schreiber's experiences show: successful product development is an art form that combines vision and pragmatism, customer understanding and technical excellence. For European founders, the opportunity lies in using their natural strengths – complex thinking, regulatory understanding, sustainable development – as competitive advantages.