Why 99% of products fail from lack of this one critical (but overlooked) step

Welcome to The Innovators Insight.

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Do you have a new physical product idea you think could be big...

but you don’t know how to refine it into something customers actually want?

Have you created rough prototypes and shown friends...

only to get shrugs in response instead of excitement?

Or maybe you launched on Kickstarter...

but didn’t get the response you expected?

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Even the most experienced product developers struggle to turn their initial ideas into a hit product.

But the good news is, with the right refinement process, you can take any early stage prototype and turn it into something customers obsess over.

In this week’s issue, we uncover the crucial (and often overlooked) step that separates winning products from flops...

I’m talking about rigorous, structured prototype testing with real users early and often.

Do this right, and you’ll have an unfair advantage over other products hitting the market.

Get it wrong... and even the best ideas will crash and burn.

Let’s dive in:

1. Start testing early

As soon as your first rough prototype is ready, get it in front of real potential users immediately to start getting feedback.

Don't wait until you have something more polished or perfected - testing early is key.

You'll want to start with quick-and-dirty prototyping methods in the beginning like 3D printing, basic code, cardboard mockups, etc.

The goal is to uncover issues and opportunities while you still have time and flexibility to make changes easily.

For example:

if you're developing a new baby stroller, use cardboard cutouts to start mocking up the shape and size.

Put that in front of expecting moms early to get critical feedback you can use to adjust the subsequent digital or foam prototypes before committing to tooling.

The earlier you start gathering real-world user data, the better.

2. Test with your target audience

Don't just ask for generalized feedback from your own social network on early prototypes.

Make sure to specifically test with people who match the exact consumer profile you're targeting with the final product.

Depending on your timeline and budget, aim for 5-10 testers from that demographic when possible.

For a gardening tool, recruit actual gardening enthusiasts - not just your co-workers who have never held a trowel before.

Observe your testers closely as they interact with your prototype, and include post-activity interview questions to uncover their:

• Honest impressions

• Pain points

• Hesitations

• Areas for improvement.

Real user reactions are invaluable…

and often very surprising compared to what you expected or experienced yourself.

3. Identify high-frequency pain points

As you observe your test sessions, pay special attention to any pain points, frustrations, hesitations or difficulties that repeatedly come up for multiple users.

One-off issues you can likely disregard for now.

But if you notice more than 2 testers struggling to open or grip your prototype device comfortably for instance, that signals a major area to refine in the next versions.

Ask focused questions, review slow motion video footage, and dig deeper into stumbling blocks during testing to uncover subtleties.

Analyze where many consumers get "stuck" to isolate priority opportunities for iteration based on real user data - don't rely just on your assumptions.

High frequency pain points you fix will drastically impact success.

4. Iterate extensively based on insights

Armed with a wealth of insights and pain points from your testers, apply that liberally as you move into your next round of rapid ideation, prototyping and testing.

Be bold and unafraid to try many different approaches to resolving the issues that surfaced.

Expect to produce multiple distinct versions and test each one independently when possible.

User testing is often humbling - it may reveal that your stroller prototype is too heavy for moms to comfortably maneuver for instance.

Don't hesitate to explore options (like lighter materials or motorization) that veer significantly from your original ideas based on user struggles and barriers.

Design thinking is an inherently iterative process.

5. Retest with refinements

Once you have additional iterated prototypes that address earlier feedback, conduct another fresh round of testing with brand new users.

Observe whether your key pain points have been sufficiently resolved or if more refinement is necessary.

Be prepared to go through multiple rounds of:

• Prototyping

• Testing

• Synthesizing findings

• Applying insights towards ever-better versions

It's very rare to nail a perfect prototype in just 1-2 rounds of testing.

View this as an ongoing process where you continually experiment and evolve your offering over many small batches.

Success is often just a result of how quickly you can iterate.

Final thoughts

Testing is the secret sauce that takes a mediocre prototype and turns it into a must-have product.

Get your concept in front of real users early.

Observe them closely to uncover frustrations. Let their feedback guide your refinements.

Repeat this process until customers literally can't live without your product.

Do the work upfront and you’ll be rewarded with raving fans and market domination down the road.

Talk soon,

Roy

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Raise crowdfunding: We can help you turn your product prototype into an investible asset. If you’ve got a working prototype, and need funding to scale, send me a direct message on Linkedin (click here) saying “funding” for more details on how we can help.
   

2. Validate your physical product concept: Got a concept (napkin sketch or full concept design) for a killer product? We want to see it. Click here to submit it for review.
   

3. Free Guide - Crowdfunding 101: How to prepare your physical product for a crowdfunding campaign. Click here to learn more.