Curiosity is Key 🔑🤔

Outside of work, I’ve been working with a professional in an unrelated field.

This has given me the opportunity to sit on the other side of the table.

I’ve been the client instead of the service provider.

Our first relationship went south 😞, so we’re starting over with a competitor.

And I’ve come away with clarity on something important.

As an expert in a given field, it’s easy to get lost in what you already know.

You’ve seen it all, and have all the answers.

You don’t need to listen to your client, because you already know what you need.

This doesn’t end well!

There’s no replacement for an attitude of curiosity.

And from a client’s perspective, it feels so much better to be listened to, and advised. That’s a lot different than being told.

I’m going to try to remember that 😉

-Brian Schoolcraft

Illuminating blind spots 👀💡

In the business of product development consulting, we sit in a lot of concept discussions.

Most of them contain a really great idea.

Most of them also contain a giant blind spot.

It would be easy to blame the blind spot on a lack of creativity

Or even a lack of intelligence

Maybe a lack of training

But really, it’s just the fact that no one can know everything. 

Most of the time, the really great idea is drawn from years of experience in a specific field.

And the giant blind spot comes from somewhere else.

Often, it comes from a lack of exposure to the product development process.

And no matter how good the idea is, if you can’t get past the blind spot, you’re stuck.

What if you found an expert or two to look over your shoulder, and see if their experience sheds any light on your blind spots?

Personally, I’d love to take a look!

-Brian Schoolcraft

Fixed price pitfalls to avoid

Let’s say you’re purchasing a deliverable from a 3rd party. You know what you want, defined the requirements, and don’t really care what the execution looks like, as long as you get the result you need. 

A component design, 

a structural analysis, 

or maybe a circuit board assembly. 

Often, you’ll be negotiating a fixed price with the supplier or contractor doing the work. That fixed price will include a schedule and a list of deliverables based on your requirements. 

In a perfect world, that should work perfectly!

But what if your requirements change?

What if the schedule slips?

What if you’re not pleased with the results?

What if? What if?

None of those questions are necessarily show stoppers, but they might be depending on how they’re answered (or if they aren’t asked!)

Perhaps you’re both assuming the requirements will never change, so neither party feels the need to discuss that scenario. 

But then they do change. 

And now you disagree on who should pay for it.

Perhaps you should ask the questions at the beginning whether you think you need to or not!

And perhaps you should be willing to spend a little more time and money in the “proposal phase” to make sure you’re both on the same page.

-Brian Schoolcraft