The iPhone buzz is cooling off today but media stories are spinning off some good thinking for startups. One is by Scott Duke Harris in the San Jose Mercury News today. His article discusses the origin of the proverbial "sliced bread" (yes, a long time ago it was an innovation that revolutionized the American bread business). He then makes some useful points about the innovation of new products. It is a worthwhile quick read. Here are some of the things in it worth thinking about for entrepreneurs:
- "the ooh factor". This is what consumers saw in Nintendo's Wii with its magic wand. But please note: even industrial products and services need the ooh factor.
- ". . . its simplicity appeals to a broad group of users." Note the words "simplicity" and "appeal". The simplicity implies clarity and focus (instantly the ideal customer says "I get it!"). The appeal is what the "value proposition" is all about.
- "Others existed but [they] really came in with best-in-class." This is a reminder that "first to get it right" overpowers "first mover". First to arrive is death. First to get it right wins the race.
- Startups surf new waves, giant corporations invade them. Who starts them is not the issue. The trick is to be moving with the wave as it is rising. Then you have a better chance to win the surfing contest.
- "genuine wonder". Emotions must be triggered by what you are offering. Humans make purchase decisions. They need to be awed by your product offering.
- "magical", "way cool", "gets consumers salivating". Your ideal customer should be eager, enthusiastic about using your product or service. Boring is death. So is "interested in it".
- "It really married function and design in an elegant solution . . .". Note the combination. The elements are joined to bring a solution. The term "elegant" again refers to emotional appeal to the ideal customer. And think about solutions. There is more room to maneuver competitively when you position with solutions than when you position with a product with a feature that is faster or better.
I realize some of you will think that no genuine industrial buyer will get as emotional over a new bulldozer as an iPhone. But when you talk to industrial buyers and sellers, you will come to the conclusion that they do say "Way cool" to bulldozers. Respecting that will get you farther toward competitive positioning that can move you into the leadership position of a new market segment. That will put you onto the path to becoming a gorilla.
BOTTOM LINE: I think that makes it clearer: the media should find your product offering more than interesting. Your ideal customer needs to see it as "way cool" and be emotionally eager to purchase it. That is central to building an unfair advantage.
Comments