In 2012, facing growing competition from Apple and Google, Microsoft unveiled what it believed would be the next big thing: Windows 8. The team at Microsoft poured millions of dollars into R&D, creating countless innovative features, but ultimately the platform struggled to gain traction with customers. With hundreds of negative reviews calling Windows 8 “needlessly confusing and hard to use,” people questioned whether they should upgrade at all. One publication even referred to Windows 8 as the “epic fail of the decade.”
Why the Best Tech Firms Keep Customers Front-of-Mind
Create Windows 10, not Windows 8.
January 08, 2020, Updated January 10, 2020
Summary.
Technology companies have a tendency to focus on tech innovation rather than marketing. This leads them to build feature-laden products they think customers should want, rather than products customers actually demand. (Windows 8 is such an example.) This piece describes how Microsoft learned from that failed launch and included marketers at the earliest stages of planning for Windows 10. It goes on to describe three foundational steps to pursue an “outside-in” product development strategy.
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HBR Learning
Marketing Essentials Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Marketing Essentials. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to communicate with your customers—strategically.