Chapter 13 Section 12: Mining needs and "problem blindness" (2)

Interestingly, many times, those closest to these problems are unable to discover these problems because they are blind to them, or even if they do, they will not think about a thorough solution.Paul York tells the story of how balloon angioplasty was made possible and utilized.Balloon angioplasty is the insertion of an expandable balloon into an artery to unblock a blocked artery.Before this breakthrough invention, most cardiologists believed that bypass surgery, which removes damaged blood vessels, was the only way to treat blocked blood vessels.However, heart bypass surgery requires opening the chest cavity, which is extremely dangerous.Although balloon angioplasty is less dangerous and does not require surgery, when it was first introduced it was met with strong skepticism and resistance from doctors, especially surgeons, who thought they "knew" the disease best. diagnosis and treatment.Pioneers of balloon angioplasty faced numerous obstacles as a result, such as John Simpson, one of the inventors, who eventually had to leave university to pursue his research in a private practice.Over time, however, the efficacy of balloon angioplasty has been demonstrated and is today the standard treatment for vascular occlusive disease.As this story shows, it is difficult for those closest to the status quo to see things from another perspective when the status quo has become entrenched.

"Problem blindness" also occurs in the field of research and development of consumer products.For example, there is plenty of evidence that automated teller machines (ATMs) were initially a bummer.When potential customers were asked if they would use a machine to deposit and withdraw money rather than go to a bank counter to complete the transaction, they said they could not imagine such a drastic change.In hindsight, ATMs represent a whole new evolution in personal banking, with dramatically improved efficiency.Nowadays, few people can do without ATM. I myself have been guilty of "problem ignorance".My husband Mike gave me a cell phone about 15 years ago, long before cell phones were ubiquitous and I didn't think I needed one.In fact, I'm even annoyed, thinking I've just got another electronic gadget left unused.Mike urged me to try it for a week, and two days later, I realized that I couldn't live without my phone.I talk on the phone at least two hours a day, and I can keep in touch with friends and colleagues while driving.I later thanked Mike heartily for the gift.Now, whenever I see a new idea that could be groundbreaking, I remind myself to remember my first experience with a mobile phone.

The key to requirements mining is to find and fill gaps—gaps in product usage, gaps in services, gaps in needs that people unwittingly reveal.I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Barry, a demand generation specialist at Point Forward.Michael tells a fascinating story about his time working for Kimberly-Clark (Kleenex, Scott tissues, Huggies diapers).Compared with Procter & Gamble's Pampers diaper sales, Kimberly-Clark was very disappointed with its own diaper sales.So the company brought in Michael's team to help find ways to improve performance.After carefully observing the sales status of the diaper market, evaluating the packaging information of diapers, and interviewing the parents of young children, Michael found that Kimberly-Clark has overlooked a very important point: when Kimberly-Clark sells diapers, they regard them as harmful things and items to be discarded , but baby parents don’t think so about diapers.In the eyes of young parents, wearing diapers is to make the baby more comfortable. The disposal of diapers is part of the baby care work, and it is regarded as a piece of clothing for the baby.These observations became the starting point for Kimberly-Clark to revamp the packaging and positioning of its Curiosity line of products.Then, through more detailed research, Michael spotted an even bigger opportunity.He noticed that parents always look very embarrassed when asked whether their baby still wears diapers.That's right, this is what parents and babies who are learning to use the toilet worry about!It would be nice if there was a way to change that.But how to get rid of this embarrassment and make diapers a symbol of success?Michael came up with the idea of ​​"Pull-Ups" as a transition between diapers and underwear.Taking off diapers and putting on pull-up pants is an important milestone for both babies and parents.Moreover, the baby can put on the pull-up pants by himself without the help of an adult, and this achievement can also make the baby proud.Michael's insight into the problem has increased Kimberly-Clark's annual sales by US$1 billion, and Kimberly-Clark is therefore ahead of its competitors in the market.The birth of pull-up pants, a new product, stems from dedicated demand mining, clear definition of problems, and timely transformation of problems into opportunities.