Product Innovation: Ten Empathy Myths
Product innovation depends on understanding the customer. Although empathy represents society’s highest claim on understanding another person (culture, or group) the results often 
exceed best intentions. When new product innovations fail to understand the customer’s needs the costs can be significant.
Problem Definition: A Model
Product innovations are evaluated based on their ability to solve current of future customer needs. The results can be described as following in four different categories:
Unaware of Conditions: In this condition the business is completely unaware of both the customer’s problems or how to solve them. As a result the customer has no reason to even be aware of the company. Nothing remotely approximating empathy exists in this scenario.
Aspire to Meet Conditions: In this condition the business is becoming aware of the customer’s needs. The primary goals are to confirm the customer problem definition is captured, current solutions are understood, and the gap between current and desired customer solutions has been identified.
The gap represents a significant business opportunity if the customer problem definition is correct. If the definition is not correct the solutions developed will miss their mark and the customer problem will remain. Empathy is still lacking in this scenario while the business strives to sympathize and understand the customer’s needs.
Met Conditions: In this condition the business has identified solutions to solve the customer’s problem. Ideally these solutions represent innovations in a market with under-performing solutions.
Even if the solutions are innovative the challenges are not over. The solutions continue to require updates as improvements to competitor offerings move closer. Current offerings may also need more adaptations and improvements in order to scale and deliver value to customer groups that did were not captured in first studies.
Empathy may exist in this scenario but is not a precondition to solving the customer’s problems. In fact the problem may still be misunderstood. Ongoing customer development and production evaluation is suggested as any inefficiencies can increase cost and customer turnover.
Exceed Conditions: In this condition the business product/ service offering may be solving the customer’s problem although certain elements may be lacking. In addition the solution may provide more functionality that greatly exceeds customer expectations as well as provide functionality that is simply not needed. The results can be costly including product/ service positioning out of customer reach to reach return on investment (ROI) goals.
Tools that Support Customer Understanding
There are many tools available to support customers. To further explain the gap between intended and actual customer understanding further study of their shortcomings may be useful. A short list is included below that outlines the intended strengths for each construct and the limitations. Understanding both is crucial if these tools are to be used as intended.
| Construct | Strengths | Limitations |
| Diversity | Diversity is part of every day life and acknowledges the different customs, traditions, beliefs, and experiences of individuals and cultures. | Diversity is often limited to optics and does not ‘require’ an appreciation and respect for other viewpoints. Diversity can occur without inclusion. |
| Neurodiversity | Neurodiversity recognizes that perspective and experience is rooted in both social and biological vectors. This model seeks to acknowledge the value of these perspectives. | Despite legislation advocating, and protecting the rights of neurodiverse communities, incorporation and leveraging these insights is sector specific. Neurodiversity can occur without inclusion. |
| Inclusion | Inclusion represents value based efforts to strengthen relationships as well as incorporate others, lower barriers, and address disparities. | Inclusion programs, strategy, and legislation have made great strides but barriers still exist. Pedagogical models and mainstream vectors continue to be prioritized. Strategies continue to be sourced in outdated values. |
| Sympathy | Sympathy is considered a first step towards empathy and begins to cross the bridge from perceiving differences to recognizing the value of unique perspectives. | Sympathy shares the same limitation of other constructs as well as struggles with ‘walking in the other person’s shoes.’ This limitation creates an often inflexible understanding. |
| Collaboration | Collaboration incorporates a series of strategies and values that seeks to incorporate diverse perspectives. | Collaboration’s goals are often context, or project, specific. The process of collaboration often delivers truncated results. Strategies continue to be sourced in outdated values. |
| Advocacy & Legislation | Advocacy seeks to increase engagement, inclusion, and awareness where legislation seeks to formalize expectations, values, and models within the regulatory environment. | Advocacy and legislation has made great strides in strengthening community relations but continues to be sourced in outdated values and institutional priorities. |
| Customer Focused | Customer focused service models seek to delight and amaze the customer by providing more value than expected. | Customer focused service models have improved relationships, design, and retention for customer groups that meet profit goals but underserve (or reject) other groups. The model remains profit driven. |
| User Experience UX | UX focuses on product/service design that is easy (if not fun) to use, supports customer engagement & retention, as well as improves market penetration and branding. | An understanding of UX is crucial towards creating solutions that are both effective and usable but emphasizes functionality that meets ROI goals. UX continues to stay useful but as a target specific methodology. |
| Co-Optation | Co-optation represents the ‘sharing’ of cultural artifacts, traditions, customs, and norms in the pursuit of connection, enrichment, or understanding. | Co-optation continues to occur as a result of globalization but has been challenged as a tool for community building, identity development, or reparation on the grounds that it is inauthentic and cheapens the legitimacy of its source. |
| Empathy | Empathy (often confused with sympathy) is the ability and share the experiences or feelings of another person or group. | Empathy optimally functions as an agile and adaptive construct but is significantly influenced by bias, different experiences, priorities, and values. Empathy’s limits are often closer than presumed. A patriarchal, although well-intentioned, attitude often results. |
It can be argued that up to 90% of business models do not do as intended. One of the first inputs into the business model development process involves understanding the customer’s problems. Domain leadership in this area creates a significant competitive advantage that is not easily mirrored by competitors. Copying your business’ product/ service offerings is not enough to reap the same rewards.
Conclusion
Telling the customers what they need is no longer enough to create a competitive advantage. The tools for product/ service development often miss their target despite good intentions. Businesses need more than a patriarchal approach to developing an effective and efficient product/ service offering. It requires a deep connection and understanding of the customer’s problems.
Travis Barker, MPA GCPM
Innovate Vancouver
Consulting@innovatevancouver.org
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