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This probably applies more to business focused startups than consumer ones. I know so many people who ridiculed twitter and ipads when they came out and now use

by jiggy2011 12y ago

This probably applies more to business focused startups than consumer ones. I know so many people who ridiculed twitter and ipads when they came out and now use both on a daily basis.

27182818284 12y ago
That's less relevant, because that's Apple now as a major, global force in business. Going back to the old days, Apple certainly understood their customers. The best example I can think of is when Woz was asked how many they could sell and he immediately said, "A million!" When pressed how he could be so sure, he replied "Because there are at least a million ham radio operators" Obviously it isn't a radio, but he understood that nerds into ham radio would be the same ones wanting a personal Apple computer in their basement. In that sense, really what getting out of the building means is a deep, deep connection and understanding with your customers.
- jiggy2011 12y ago
  It's true that market understanding and research are important for all businesses, what I mean is asking for specific requirements from your customers and designing around those is less useful. That's probably less true however if you're selling something to a market of serious hobbyists who treat the hobby like a second job because they have probably spent a lot of time thinking about the problems with current products. On the other hand, if you asked me which features are important for a dishwasher I'd be unlikely to give you useful answers because I don't spend much time thinking about dishwashers. Another factor is that fashion is a bigger deal in the consumer space, if your product is associated with "cool" people will buy it regardless of whether it solves a real problem.
  - w1ntermute 12y ago
    Doing something in the B2C space tends to involve a lot of luck, particularly when it comes to generating that "cool" image. That's the main reason I've always been drawn to B2B, where the customers tend to understand their needs a lot better.

This probably applies more to business focused startups than consumer ones. I know so many people who ridiculed twitter and ipads when they came out and now use both on a daily basis.

27182818284 12y ago

That's less relevant, because that's Apple now as a major, global force in business. Going back to the old days, Apple certainly understood their customers. The best example I can think of is when Woz was asked how many they could sell and he immediately said, "A million!" When pressed how he could be so sure, he replied "Because there are at least a million ham radio operators" Obviously it isn't a radio, but he understood that nerds into ham radio would be the same ones wanting a personal Apple computer in their basement. In that sense, really what getting out of the building means is a deep, deep connection and understanding with your customers.

jiggy2011 12y ago
It's true that market understanding and research are important for all businesses, what I mean is asking for specific requirements from your customers and designing around those is less useful. That's probably less true however if you're selling something to a market of serious hobbyists who treat the hobby like a second job because they have probably spent a lot of time thinking about the problems with current products. On the other hand, if you asked me which features are important for a dishwasher I'd be unlikely to give you useful answers because I don't spend much time thinking about dishwashers. Another factor is that fashion is a bigger deal in the consumer space, if your product is associated with "cool" people will buy it regardless of whether it solves a real problem.
- w1ntermute 12y ago
  Doing something in the B2C space tends to involve a lot of luck, particularly when it comes to generating that "cool" image. That's the main reason I've always been drawn to B2B, where the customers tend to understand their needs a lot better.