Which comes first, the focus group or the egg?
Does the customer always precede the product?
Steve Jobs famously said, “It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them” - BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998
The conventional approach to creating innovative solutions begins by asking the customer what they want. But does the customer always know what they want?
The idea that a truly revolutionary product or service can be beyond the realm of a customer’s imagination is a controversial one. In today’s world of collaboration and co-creation, feedback is king. But then, how do we generate truly original ideas that transcend tried and tested boundaries?
A suggestion - Instead of asking your customer what they want, listen out for the way they want to live. Start the search for innovation there.
