You’re Asking the Wrong Innovation Questions

When customers are asked what they want from a product, the resulting feedback is often ambiguous and unhelpful. Attempting to innovate based on this kind of input leads to either uninspiring line extensions or bizarre inventions. To create truly successful innovations, it is essential to ask the right questions in a structured way that produces valuable input. The two primary questions to ask customers are about the job they are trying to get done when using the product or service, and the metrics they use to evaluate how well it helps them achieve that job.