Developing a successful product line doesn’t have to be a fumble in the dark. Here are seven best practices for bringing your baby to market as efficiently and economically as possible.
Solicit feedback. Now.
It’s not enough to run nascent products by friends and family. Instead, vet early-stage plans and prototypes with potential customers (in other words, strangers).
The idea is to get people to tell you whether the product meets their needs and, if not, what might improve it. Is the product the right shape? Are buttons or other functional components in the right place? Is it the right color? Does it perform the way people want it to?
Ministry of Supply, a performance-apparel company founded in 2011, often tests new clothing items by selling beta versions in small 10- to 100-item batches through its website and collecting customer feedback on color, fit, fabric and comfort. The co-founder stated that is assists with “not spending weeks or months working on features that might not even matter to your customers.”
Ashley Charli & Company 