Innovation is the holy grail of product development, the spark that turns good ideas into game-changing solutions. But let’s be real—achieving true innovation in today’s crowded market is no small feat. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack while blindfolded. Product teams around the world grapple with the challenge of building or refining a product that solves a real problem and delivers real value to the end-user. The goal is to create something not just new but something that truly stands out and resonates with people.
Many factors contribute to an advantageous or valuable innovation, such as a skilled product team, a clear gap in the market, a strong user base, or even a legacy industry that isn’t moving forward.
But, what is the most valuable factor to innovating?
The short answer—empathy.
There’s a certain magic that happens when brands truly understand the people they serve. Empathy fosters a deep connection with the human experience, guiding the development of solutions that resonate authentically and driving meaningful and impactful innovation forward. Empathy offers clarity on the problem that is being solved and where the current solutions miss the mark.
Empathy in the innovation process is fueled by customer insight. Actually talking to the humans that (01) experience the problem the product intends to solve, and (02) will be or are the primary users.
When effective customer insight is included in the innovation process, decision-makers understand their audience, what they expect, their pain points and friction, their value propositions, and their behavior—making the job of product-market fit even clearer.
So, how can product leaders innovate with empathy?
01—Start with the problem to be solved, not the product.
To truly innovate, you need to see the world through your users’ eyes. Instead of seeking validation on the product that exists or the idea of the product, work to understand the problem that’s being solved. For example, how are they solving the problem today, where do current solutions create frustration, and what happens when the problem is not solved? This in-depth understanding helps you spot areas ready for innovation and create solutions that really meet the needs of the humans you work for.
- Using research to validate the idea - the exact wrong way to do research. Research that is designed to tell you that you are “right” or that your idea is “good” is the fastest way to ruin a good idea. Don’t do that. Instead, use research to better understand your blindspots and the problem you’re solving.
02—Get clear on how to solve the problem.
After detailing the problem itself, there is usually more than one way to solve it. Or, perhaps there is a set of primary functions and then a bunch of ancillary features that can be added to the mix. This becomes a task of prioritization and learning to say “no” so you can say yes down the road. Favor the functionality that delivers on the objective (solves the problem) and look for micro-interactions within the product that can provide value back to the user. Resist the urge to “feature stuff” in attempt to go faster or boil the ocean. But smart and scale.
- Feature stuffing—the art of adding all features at once into the product regardless of value. This is often predicated by a need to move ridiculously fast to get into market or the pressure to deliver on real or perceived expectations. Usually tied to the “loudest voice in the room”.
03—Make every team member an advocate for the user.
Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In fact, it shouldn’t happen in a bubble—that’s just a bad idea. At the same time, customer insight and product research shouldn’t just live with the research team. Socialize your findings with the engineering team, strategy teams, marketing teams, and even executive leadership. Get bold in how you advocate for the voice of the user. We’ve had clients play user research videos on a loop in breakrooms or hold workshops where teams use insights to create solutions. Whatever the approach you take, the goal is every team member, regardless of role, understand the problem and the needs of the user.
Innovation is critical to ensuring we are moving forward. But, without empathy in place, we run the risk of creating in a vacuum or developing a solution that solves nothing in particular. Developing empathy in innovation is a skill that helps shine a light on blindspots, ensures alignment, and helps drive connections. Seriously, if you’re asking us, of all the skills for disruptive innovation—empathy is what makes the best innovations.
