“We never do any consumer research” he bragged to everyone.
The arrogance of this statement
“We launch products our friends will like”
There is a lot of debate about the value of consumer or user validation in the innovation process and whether it truly leads to groundbreaking ideas.
One of the most famous critics of consumer research was Steve Jobs, who reportedly said, “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups… people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
The reality of gathering consumer insights for innovation is more nuanced and depends largely on where you are in the innovation journey.
First, the type of innovation plays a role: Is it a new category altogether (smartphones or drones)?
A major improvement to an existing product or service (like Airbnb)?
Or just an extension to a well-known brand or category (a new flavor, delivery method, or format)?
If Apple had asked consumers to describe the ideal phone, it would have fallen far short of the first iPhone.
And they certainly wouldn’t have said, “I’d like to stay in a stranger’s home because hotels are too pricey during conferences.”
However, they might easily say a new flavor makes sense for a brand—especially if it doesn’t come from their own pocket.
Consumers can’t imagine a revolutionary product the way a visionary founder can; they can only judge what is in front of them. Yet for any product or service to succeed, it must address a real consumer need, want, or interest. The earlier this understanding is built into development, the better the chances for success.
Then there is the type of research itself. The quality of insights hinges on the approach. There is a famous quote, often misattributed to Henry Ford: “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.”
Consumers may not be able to describe a solution, but they can articulate their challenges.
Asking open questions:
– why they use a horse (to move or carry cargo),
– the challenges (too expensive to maintain, too much clean-up, takes up too much space)
– what having a horse means to them (a symbol of wealth, a purebred worth showing off)
gives you rich information, ranked by importance, to trigger innovative solutions.
A great innovator can translate those into ideas. There is no “gut feeling” magic formula – Steve understood what people will buy his product because it set them apart.
Regularly interacting with consumers, understanding their motivators, and weaving these learnings into the innovation process is fundamental to creating products with a real competitive edge.