Comments on: Generating breakthrough products: the Lead User Methodology http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/ web business models, information systems, high tech, software economics, SaaS, Software + Service, innovation, new product development, digital strategy, software engineering, remote / mobile / wireless technologies, VoIP, IPTV, blogs, telecommunication business models, computer networks architecture, project management, user-generated content philosophy, entrepreneurial finance, outsourcing, operations - logistics - e-procurement - supply chain management, customer relationship management, telecom billing, clusters of innovation, e-Business, e-Commerce, start-up launch, fast-growing ventures management, globalization + some useless stuff (usually getting the most visits & comments) Thu, 01 May 2008 09:34:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: A Fresh Start (up) » Blog Archive » Generating breakthrough products: the Lead User Methodology http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-41254 A Fresh Start (up) » Blog Archive » Generating breakthrough products: the Lead User Methodology Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:36:36 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-41254 [...] identifying “lead users” on a specific market. If you want to take a look it’s here. Technorati : lead user [...] [...] identifying “lead users” on a specific market. If you want to take a look it’s here. Technorati : lead user [...]

]]> By: Marc Duchesne http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40737 Marc Duchesne Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:42:38 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40737 The one and only true Bible on Product Marketing (incl. new product generation, innovation, technology breakthrough, beta testers, early adopters, product life cycle, etc etc etc) : "Crossing The Chasm", Geoffrey Moore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Chasm http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0066620023 The rest is just pure customization and/or fine tuning by some vendors (e.g. 3M) for a specific market. HTH, _Marc The one and only true Bible on Product Marketing (incl. new product generation, innovation, technology breakthrough, beta testers, early adopters, product life cycle, etc etc etc) : “Crossing The Chasm”, Geoffrey Moore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Chasm
http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0066620023

The rest is just pure customization and/or fine tuning by some vendors (e.g. 3M) for a specific market.

HTH,
_Marc

]]> By: Vincent van Wylick http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40731 Vincent van Wylick Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:29:45 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40731 I see. Well it definitely seems like the best way to go about it, if you want to create user-centric products. I see. Well it definitely seems like the best way to go about it, if you want to create user-centric products.

]]> By: Fidji SIMO http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40724 Fidji SIMO Mon, 15 Oct 2007 04:20:23 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40724 I think you're right about the fact that paying attention to these lead users is widespread nowadays; however, in this particular methodology, it's not a matter of involving those people in the launch of a product, but using those people for the conception of the root idea, as they are supposed to have advanced needs and be able to identify them and propose solutions that companies can't imagine without being on the field. It's why, for example, a make up artist was part of this process when it was applied to 3M Surgical Division: even if he clearly won't be the final user of the product, he has a user knowledge, and some personal "tricks" to customize products to adapt them to his needs, that are really valuable even for products in the medical sector. This is why this methodology as been really disruptive in some industries because it is often used in some "desperate" situations (the medical division of 3M was about to be closed at this methodology was the last attempt to generate a breakthrough product) because it is proven that it is one of the few really efficient innovation methologies able to drive strategic shifts. I think you’re right about the fact that paying attention to these lead users is widespread nowadays; however, in this particular methodology, it’s not a matter of involving those people in the launch of a product, but using those people for the conception of the root idea, as they are supposed to have advanced needs and be able to identify them and propose solutions that companies can’t imagine without being on the field.

It’s why, for example, a make up artist was part of this process when it was applied to 3M Surgical Division: even if he clearly won’t be the final user of the product, he has a user knowledge, and some personal “tricks” to customize products to adapt them to his needs, that are really valuable even for products in the medical sector.

This is why this methodology as been really disruptive in some industries because it is often used in some “desperate” situations (the medical division of 3M was about to be closed at this methodology was the last attempt to generate a breakthrough product) because it is proven that it is one of the few really efficient innovation methologies able to drive strategic shifts.

]]> By: Vincent van Wylick http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40650 Vincent van Wylick Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:23:47 +0000 http://techiteasy.org/2007/10/14/connecting-technology-to-market-the-lead-user-methodology/#comment-40650 I think this kind of methodology is actually very widespread nowadays. Start-ups use it to generate first clients for their products, websites and software-companies use it through beta-programs, it's excellent for marketing (e.g. Nike and athletes). Gadget-makers frequently send products to reviewers and lead-bloggers. Even authors do it, by sending pre-releases to other authors to get a nice blurb. Where this clearly fails is in the situations you mention. A long development process with lots of risk. It doesn't benefit anyone if you give your users broken products, even for free. Similarly, some industries today are completely incompatible with this method. Think medicine and biotech, which are fiercely regulated, and where innovation can take 10+ years. You don't want (or can) release any early-stage products there, though there are often early-stage studies with focus-groups, which are involved in the dev. and marketing process. It's not so much a resistance to innovation I think. It's that there are different kinds of innovation, the simple kind, which is easy to prototype and build upon. This kind benefits very much from lead users. And the very skill-intensive kind of innovation, where lead-users can only really play a small part, e.g. in usability studies. I think this kind of methodology is actually very widespread nowadays. Start-ups use it to generate first clients for their products, websites and software-companies use it through beta-programs, it’s excellent for marketing (e.g. Nike and athletes). Gadget-makers frequently send products to reviewers and lead-bloggers. Even authors do it, by sending pre-releases to other authors to get a nice blurb.

Where this clearly fails is in the situations you mention. A long development process with lots of risk. It doesn’t benefit anyone if you give your users broken products, even for free. Similarly, some industries today are completely incompatible with this method. Think medicine and biotech, which are fiercely regulated, and where innovation can take 10+ years. You don’t want (or can) release any early-stage products there, though there are often early-stage studies with focus-groups, which are involved in the dev. and marketing process.

It’s not so much a resistance to innovation I think. It’s that there are different kinds of innovation, the simple kind, which is easy to prototype and build upon. This kind benefits very much from lead users. And the very skill-intensive kind of innovation, where lead-users can only really play a small part, e.g. in usability studies.

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