Did you say creativity?
Steve Jobs will certainly go down as one of the most charismatic businessmen of the 21st century, but he will also be remembered as one of those who did the most damage to marketing!
A true virtuoso of creativity and innovation, he never doubted for a moment the success of his products: Apple 2, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Newton... No, the Newton wasn't really a success L.
Since then, generations of engineers and start-ups have launched products and services based on the simple intuition that if they like what they have to offer, customers will love it.
Those of our readers who imagine themselves to be a new Steve Jobs should give up reading, they are not concerned; the others, who are more modest, can continue.
We tend to focus too much on the bestsellers, Apple and Dyson, forgetting that there aren't that many of them; and we're a little quick to forget the failures, like the little Nabaztag rabbit, in which its inventors saw the communicating terminal of the future and which has only ever won over a very, very narrow clientele of geeks.
Telecoms specialists will tell you that if we had taken public opinion into account, we would never have launched a phone that could be used in the street: what a stupid idea! And it's true that when it comes to ground-breaking innovations, things are a little more complicated; but like Steve Jobs, these are rare.
In all other cases, it's not enough to have an idea: it has to be truly original, adapted to real consumer needs/expectations, and so on. And that's where things often get complicated.
There is no single method, no single process to follow: from Creative Problem Solving to the Blue Ocean strategy, via Design Thinking and even Growth Hacking, which is so 'in' with start-ups, each has its own specific advantages; but they all follow precise routes with, at certain stages, the necessary meetings with the end customers.
Take Design Thinking: whether you're referring to Rolf Faste, Jeremy Gutsche or Tim Brown, the approach is based on the same framework derived from the work of Robert McKim, summarised in his book Experiences in Visual Thinking.
Design Thinking calls into question traditional approaches based on a single reasoned analysis: here analytical thinking and intuitive thinking intertwine, with a lot of back and forth towards the end user; but in no way does this mean going off into the wind...
There are stages to follow, and obstacles to overcome: it doesn't matter if some people count 7, others 5, or even 3: innovation doesn't spring up spontaneously and randomly, it's the result of a process where listening to the consumer is key.
Even serendipity - or the art of "making a scientific discovery or technical invention in an unexpected way", according to Wikipedia - is not the result of chance alone: Alexander Fleming did not discover penicillin just by stumbling across a dish full of mould: the incident fuelled constant reflection.
The same goes for marketing: only if you take a consumer-oriented approach, only if you systematically keep your business concerns in mind, will you be able to grasp the insight you've been looking for for a long time while wandering around on social media.
So, if you're Steve Jobs, you can forget about these lines; otherwise, take inspiration from tried and tested methods, adapt them to your needs, or even create your own: that's the only key to success.
