Listen to your technology users – they have led to the most groundbreaking innovations in history

In 1971, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the precursor to the modern Internet, had about 1,000 users. The @ Sign was an obscure symbol. Then, engineer Ray Tomlinson changed everything by creating a system for sending messages to other computers on the ARPANET network, using the @ sign to indicate who each message was intended for. Email was born.

One of the greatest inventions of the digital age wasn’t created by a company looking for a product to sell. It was invented by a user who wanted to solve a problem. Tomlinson said It wasn’t until almost 25 years later, in 1993, that he truly realized what a big deal his invention was.

Users were also behind the invention of the dishwasher (a celebrity who wants to make the dinner party cleanup easier), the phone (an engineer who wanted to speak to his wife upstairs from his basement laboratory), the Plastic contact lens (an optician who is tired of wearing thick, heavy glasses) and even like modern technology companies Airbnb (The founders rented an air mattress in their living room to cover the rent on their San Francisco apartment.)

Users are an important source of disruptive innovation, but are often overlooked. We recently published an analysis of 60 cases of disruptive innovation in the EU Journal of Product Innovation Managementfrom LASIK surgery to power tools. Our goal was to understand where disruptive innovations arise. We were surprised that almost half of the innovations we identified came from users rather than manufacturers.

Combination of “needs knowledge” and “solution knowledge”

Users have a unique, close-up view of a problem – and know where current solutions fall short. Technical experts and existing manufacturers have a clearer idea of ​​what possible solutions might look like, but are not as close to the need. By combining users’ “needs knowledge” with their own “solution knowledge,” companies can unlock a wealth of growth opportunities and competitive advantages.

Disruptive ideas B2C products and services are often created by individual consumers who want to satisfy their own needs. Disruptive innovation in B2B can come from professionals looking for new tools or systems to do their jobs more effectively. The doctor John H. Gibbon and his wife Mary developed the heart-lung machine and carried out one of the first successful open-heart operations.

Our study found that products with dramatically new functionality are more likely to be developed by users and often emerge during times when customer needs are changing rapidly. On the other hand, innovations with a high degree of technological novelty are more likely to be produced by manufacturers who have the necessary technical expertise. These usually arise in moments of rapid technological change.

Our research challenges existing ways of thinking disruptive innovation. The narrative, coined by businessman Clayton Christensen, is that disruption comes from startups and other new entrants, while large incumbents are generally left behind. Users are seen as part of the problem. If your customers demand the same thing over and over again, there isn’t much room for innovation.

However, our research shows that there is no one template for disruptive innovation and that users can be a source of brilliant ideas rather than a hindrance. While companies often turn to users for ideas on how to optimize existing projects and drive innovation at the edge, we’ve found that they can also create disruptive, game-changing innovations.

Tips to support disruptive innovation

How can your company bring truly breakthrough innovations to users? First, create a culture of open innovation that values ​​insights from outside the company. While the technical geniuses in your R&D department are experts on how to build something new, they aren’t the only authorities on what you should build. Our research suggests that it is particularly important to be on the lookout for user-generated disruptions during times when customer needs are changing rapidly.

Talk to your customers and create channels for dialogue and engagement. Most companies regularly survey users and conduct focus groups. But to identify truly disruptive ideas, you need to go beyond reactions to existing products and explore unmet needs and pain points. Customer complaints also provide insight into the extent to which existing solutions are inadequate. AI tools Facilitate online monitoring of user communities and analysis of customer feedback, reviews and complaints.

Stay connected to social media and online user communities where people share innovative ways to customize existing products and wish lists for new features. Users also gather offline. During sporting events, athletes may develop tailored solutions to unmet needs. Mountain bikes were invented in the 1970s by riders who assembled custom bikes called clunkers to explore beautiful off-road landscapes in California.

Focus on lead users who are ahead of the trends. Lead users are often the first to recognize emerging consumer needs that will dominate in the future and they can benefit from new solutions. Research shows that lead user ideas are much more commercially valuable than those of the average customer. However, take their opinion with a grain of salt, as lead users sometimes value niche features that mainstream customers don’t care about. You can also search for key users embedded in your company – for example, employees who work for a car company because they are car enthusiasts.

Finally, discover co-creation initiatives that encourage direct collaboration with user innovators. For example, run a contest in which customers submit ideas for new products or features, some of which could prove to be truly disruptive. Or sponsor hackathons that bring together users with needs and technical experts to develop solutions.

Companies are always looking for an innovative edge, but they often lack one of the most powerful sources of breakthrough ideas – their own users. By leveraging the vast pool of existing users and customers, you can leverage their creativity and expertise to drive truly breakthrough innovation.

Christina Raasch is Professor of Digital Economics at the Kühne Logistics university in Germany. Tim Schweisfurth is Professor of Organizational Design and Collaboration Engineering at the Technical University of Hamburg in Germany.