Written by Dan Behrendt
A customer-centric approach has always been a fundamental strategy for business. However, lately it seems to have become more of an idyllic vision than a reality.
Technology allows us to reach customers across the globe. But, it has simultaneously driven us further apart. Whereas businesses used to be in tune with their customers’ every need, many corporations today have gained a reputation for being both out of touch with their customers, and slow to innovate.
To solve this problem, various approaches have been proposed to put customers first. Lean startup method creator Eric Ries says in his book The Lean Startup, “We must learn what customers really want, not what they say they want or what we think they should want.” Others have suggested design thinking, design sprints and Agile development based on the same underlying principles.
To confront this challenge head-on, our team at Microsoft took a different approach that we call “open hacks.” Under this model, we send our own developers to work side by side with our customers to build technology that solves their biggest problems together. And in doing so, it has transformed the way we do business entirely. Continue Reading >>>
