Welcome problems

There is no greater gift than a customer with a problem.

When such opportunity presents itself, we ought to jump right in and learn as much as we can:

• Why is this a problem? What makes it a problem?
• What is the impact of this problem? Both quantitatively and qualitatively?
• How frequently does this problem manifest?
• What are the symptoms and what are the causes?
• What has been done about this problem thus far? Why? How?
• What is different now?

Through the above we have an opportunity to create enduring value not only for the customer with the problem, but any other customer—current or probable—who might face the same or sufficiently similar problem as well.

That is how we increase the speed of innovation, while lowering the cost of innovation, and delivering value to all stakeholders. And isn't that just brilliant?