In working with entrepreneurs (and donning the cap myself), a few fundamental questions that I always ask are:
- Who needs this?
- Who needs you to succeed?
- What has to go right for you to succeed?
- Is there a trigger ‘event’ when the customer knows that they need to buy NOW?
I would add to the mix “Vitamin, Aspirin or Penicillin?”
Specifically, is your product or service a 'vitamin' (you really SHOULD take it; it will make you healthier; but of course, many don’t), 'aspirin' (when you have a throbbing headache, you know that you NEED this) or 'penicillin' (you may die if you don’t take this NOW)?
We often lose sight that while our offerings may be sexy and cool, or even deliver lots of utility, they may not be essential or drive clear buying triggers. In tough economic times, especially, vitamins are often (but not always), the first to go.
Related Posts:
- The Paradox of Developing New Products and Services
- Start in the Middle: a user experience product management methodology
- Innovation, Inevitability and Why R&D is So Hard
- Pattern Recognition: Secure the Design Win, Capture the High Margin Dollar
