8/9/2019 Alas, Poor Henry and the Problem
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Alas, Poor Henry and the Problem
According to legend, Henry Ford scofed at market research and
what we nowcall Consumer Insights, proclaiming, “I I had asked
people what they wanted,they would have said aster horses. !hile
there is a certain degree owisdom in this statement, it has "een
mis#uoted to $ustiy "ad, hu"ris%
inspired product ailures "y too many corporate egos.
&es, to Ford's credit, sometimes the visionary impulse
o the inventor livesoutside o convention. However, Ford made a
mistake "y thinking o hiscustomers as unimaginative drones and an
o"$ecti(ed, uncreative herd.
In reality, this #uote is an act o (ction and cannot "e traced
"ack to thewritings or sayings o Henry Ford. Ford was too smart and
too shrewd toignore customers or to act like a tone%dea, singularly
gited inventor. Heknew his audience ) and this insight drove him to
(nd ways to design aprocess that ena"led the vision o an aforda"le
car or the masses. *he keyto success and good design that wins in
the market+ knowing your audience.
I you give people a chance ) and also employ ormal discovery,
ideation, and"rainstorming processes and methods ) they can help
your company de(nethe real pro"lems in the market. &ou have to
let consumers or customers iyou are a -- company/ co%create with
you to identiy the unmet needs andtheir real desires. Ater you
understand their world and their perspectives,you can validate
these (ndings with a mi0 o empirical, o"servational, andeven
intuitive modes and methods.
*he real key to creating a disruptive, "reakthrough
innovation is discernment.-y knowing the conte0t o the people in
the market, you know the gaps. Inthese gaps dwell the seeds o uture
market leadership.
*he issue is one o orientation. I you approach an
innovation pro$ect or aventure with a rigid, (0ed notion o what the
market needs, and you have notactually "othered to check with the
market, you have paid a great disrespect.
&ou have also created a wall "etween you and reality.
&ou are creating in avacuum.
Consumer or customer insights can help your company de(ne the
real needsand design a wildly new solution that solves a human
pro"lem.
1o, i you walk into a new product meeting and the pipeline
manager "egins"y saying “Henry Ford said 2 , $ust laugh, tell him
or her that you (nd the"ra3en notion amusing and you appreciate the
creative thrust that "irthedthe product concept4 however, we need
to test the need and validate that itis a pro"lem the market will
pay or.
Here, your customers can give you visceral conte0t o what the
market will orwill not accept. 5etting them "ack up into pro"lem
solving around the marketneed will give you many more product
concepts. A ew o these ideas may "epure gold.
