Avoid the "Field of Dreams" trap when launching a new product

Have you worked for a company that launched a new product or service without validating that the market wanted it let alone would pay for it? For some reason, did people just believe that users would open their wallets and hand over money just because the product exists?

If so, then your org has fallen into the Field of Dreams trap. It's believing that if you build it, they will come.

I have been in that situation. And it's frustrating.

So why do smart people make this mistake? I've found it's usually for one of two reasons.

Not validating the idea

I've experienced product launches based on the gut feeling, opinion or desire of an executive. Some of you may know that as the HiPPO - highest paid person's opinion.

Fascinatingly enough, it took little effort during the post-mortem analysis to determine that the need just didn't exist or that the product wasn't suited to meet the customers' needs.

To vastly increase your odds of success, find quick and dirty ways to test the idea in market and then as you build out the product and service, continuously test it in market.

Make changes to the product, or pivot, based on customer feedback and how they do or don't use it.

If you aren't familiar with the lean testing methodology, then read The Lean Startup by Eric Reis. Today.

Ignoring the data

Levi Jeans launched a line of suit separates back in the '80s. Tapes of the focus groups show the men being interviewed clearly saying,

We don't want to buy suits from Levi Jeans.

Hearing that, Levi's product managers then had this conversation (no exaggeration),

Did you hear that? They really want suit separates. And they want to buy them from us! We are going to make a lot of money.

The product launched and failed miserably. They had the data, but ignored it.

So why...

don't we put in the right effort at the beginning or why do we ignore the data?

Often, it's because we all have paradigms or world-views that shape how we receive information.

The team from Levi had a worldview that said, "Men want suit separates from Levi Jeans." That little thought tainted how they perceived the data.

Think of the movie Inception. Whole lives were altered based on one thought.

You may think that you haven't fallen victim to this, but it's really quite easy. So constantly test and seek customer feedback while creating new products and services and be ready to hear things you may not want to hear.

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Photo Credit: KevinLallier via Compfight