“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” Attributed to Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor company.
I often hear from credit unions “members aren’t asking for it”. It is important to hear the voice of the member but that cannot be the only guide to your roadmap. Nor can it be the decisive factor in evaluating a new innovation. It will hold back innovation.
It is always possible to find reasons why you shouldn’t try something new. As a student, Fred Smith the founder of FedEx wrote a paper describing FedEx and he received a “C”. It was an idea that would never work.
Our job is to turn short term science fiction into product features used in every day life. That means taking risks, accepting that not every idea will work, and an eagerness to try new things. When you look at partners look for a track record of innovation.
Author: Chris Doner, Founder and CEO, Access Softek