Do users have a role in more innovative product/service development??

Friday Question: @FastCompany had an article urging firms not to focus on lead users, but to actually lead users to the products they need. There is a significant literature and many firms that use a variety of market-driven approaches to innovation such as co-creation, effectuation, and probe-and-learn. So the question was: Does innovation require you to lead users or engage lead users?

The FastCompany article: User-Led Innovation Can’t Create Breakthroughs; Ask Apple & Ikea – LEADusers via @fastcodesign @fastcompany

Great Entrepreneurs might disagree with @FastCompany: How Great Entrepreneurs Think: Effectuate via @incmagazine Great entreprneurs follow effectuation…

Effectuation stresses learning from users by getting a product in the marketplace. Limit losses but keep probing for the “Sweet Spot”. More on effectuation: “The #Entrepreneurs Brain” #Effectuation discussed @nytimes freakonomics blog: MoreEffectuate . RT @Elgar_Business @effectuation

This topic generated an interesting online discussion. Some highlights (as usual my editoral comments in italics)

Highpoints of an online discussion with @GrahamHill: Before the sale? User engagement… or effectuation to determine product and biz model… [I suggested that entrepreneurs or firms may start by consulting or doing custom work in a target market or by launching “just good enough products”] They may also be efforts to move hasten exchange or use in order to facilitate early co-creation. Is early involvement taking real options in expectation of future valuable outputs & outcomes? Innovation really starts with engagement or co-creation, but neither is likely without a ref product… Maybe we need more precision in terms. Perhaps collaboration precedes involvement precedes engagement as trust is built up…

Noted service innovation scholar @per_kristensson said:   I think that there seldom is one best way (no miracle medicines) but it always depend on the situation. My take is that firms should consider using both technology- & market-driven strategies, not just one of them? Another famous scholar, @DrGustafsson, noted that: it really depends on degree of radical – very radical (with met. we use now) would say lead user

@lord_mort asked: Is it even a choice? Combining user knowledge + designer skill/exp = possibility of innovation. Designer-led, not user-led. Not excluding that users can’t have innovative ideas though. Best approach might be to work alongside users, co-create. @lord_mort noted that @cooper_journal had some things to say about the user-led innovation article. Couldn’t agree more: EngageUsers

@annemiekvMoorst argued: Real Innovations are people-led & offer new meaning. Users are constraint by their experience, cannot think OOB= Improvement (2) people-led in the sense of broader perspective, requires multi disciplinary approach. Improvement vs Innovation.

@JeffGreenhouse stated: If you put something w/ natural value in front of them, they will naturally flow into it (like water into a channel).

@shlmld said that Innovation is _done_ in networks through resource/knowledge integration across user/market/etc

@userinsight wrote a blog response: Our take- BOTH

Innovation articles or postings of interest this week:  

A recurring theme in this blog is the danger of killing good insight or ideas by subjecting users or innovators to focus groups or group brainstorming. This is a related phenomenon: Group dynamics stifle a great idea GroupsKill RT @SusanMazza @TanveerNaseer:

Innovate don’t just advertise: Why most market expenditures fail to generate any impact: ItsInnovationStupid by @davidaaker

Lean Learning?? Toyota’s Secret: The A3 Report LeanLearning RT @GrahamHill @jacobm

How Can You Manage Creativity? ManageCreativity via @HRResource #innovation RT @GiselaBONNAUD

Redesign thinking to fit more minds – and innovation will follow! Thinking RT @ellenfweber @karen_fu #Forbes

Co-creation

Collaborative Service. Co-created social services: SocialCollaboration

 Eric von Hippel talks about innovation by consumers Users RT @mitesd

TEN wonderful articles on innovation & collaborative learning Ten2Read RT @AlexGrech

IBM’s Social Business Jam – The Fun Part Starts Now!  IBMCrowd RT @Crowdsourcing_

Gr8 Advice on Open Innovation from P&G! – SuperTide – S Lindegaard – RT @innovate

Social Media Marketing  

Bad metrics –> bad behavior? Will Klout kill Twitter?? http://www.servicecocreation.com #social #media #metrics This posting has generated more hits (and HEAT) than anything I have written before! CloutofKlout

A response: Thank you for your thoughtful/informative response! @PhilipHotchkiss (Chief Product Officer, #Klout) KloutSpeaks

The Top 10 Business Blogs – Business Blogs are Critical To Your Business 10Best RT @carlgerber

Great research from @reyjunco: The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades (PDF) TwitteringStudents RT @markgr

Why Most Facebook Marketing Doesn’t Work MarketingVsSelling This shouldn’t = a surprise 2those who get disconnect between social & selling RT @raymondpirouz

FB vs. world! – Facebook’s Web of Frenemies OtisLovesUs

Twitter’s Biz Stone On Starting A Revolution // SocialM RT @9swords