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Many companies struggle with their product development process. Some are constantly pressed for time and behind schedule, trying to balance quality content with tight budgets, and some have trouble keeping up with the desires of their users. One thing almost all companies have in common is the drive to innovate, but the inability to do so consistently. Not every product can be a breakthrough, and often new releases tend to be upgrades to old products instead of radical new products. One way to combat this stagnation is to implement the “lead user” process, where companies employ expert customers to search for breakthrough ideas.

Lead users are more than just early adopters, like those poor folks who bought the iPhone for $600. They are consumers who take existing products and adapt them to suit their own needs. A lead user is someone who cannot be satisfied by existing technology because it does not meet their unique high-level needs. For example, a NASCAR driver like Jeff Gordon might make tweaks and adjustments to his family car, while an expert jeweler may add a special clamp or built-in tool to a standard workbench. Incorporating lead users into your product planning and development cycles allows you to create a product that directly meets the needs and fulfills the desires of your most demanding users.

Several organizations have adopted the lead user process to give their products the best chance at innovation. Evolv, a company that makes rock climbing shoes, brought one of the best-known athletes into their lab to design a shoe from start to finish is one example. Evolv sponsors Chris Sharma, arguably the world’s best rock climber, and they invited him to participate in the creative product development process. Everyone benefits in this situation: Evolv gets an innovative product, customers gain access to a shoe designed by Chris Sharma, and Sharma gets a shoe he designed for his specific needs.

Another example of the lead user process is the growing world of open source software. Open source software packages make the source code available to the public so that creative programmers and developers can write ad-on programs and accessories for the product line. Mozilla is a company that has taken full advantage of this trend, and lead users have taken the source material to new heights with widgets and plug-ins that increase the functionality of their products. Facebook is another innovator in the field of open source software, and their site hosts thousands of applications written by third-party lead users for the benefit of average users.

Using outside experts is a great way to keep the product development process on the cutting edge. Organizations often doubt the willingness of lead users to contribute to product cycles, but most are enthusiastic about sharing their expertise and ideas. It benefits them just as much as it does the average consumer. Talent is talent, no matter what the source. It’s never too early to incorporate the lead user process into your product development group, and this technique, in conjunction with your existing usability techniques, can help you determine whether a new idea is viable, how you should approach your research, and what new users your ideas might be able to reach.

Monday, December 17th, 2007 Both comments and pings are currently closed.

By Haley January Eckels