Designing Breakthrough Products

When exposed to new technologies, most companies focus on a narrow innovation strategy:  technology substitution.  They ask, “Can we substitute this for an old technology to better address customers’ existing needs?”

But if they want to create breakthrough products, they should ask, “How can this technology be used to address needs that customers may not realize they have and give customers a completely new reason to buy a product?”

Well-known examples of companies that did the latter include Nintendo, Apple, and Swatch.  All three have used technology to radically change the .....