Baked In

Think about the products your company is producing. Most of us are in the habit of thinking about new features we could or should add to those products. We spend a lot of time thinking about how products can satisfy the various needs of customers. That’s the way most of us are used to thinking of innovation. Instead, think about what you could take away from your product. Make a list of your product’s features, according to their importance to the customer. Now cross off all but the top five. What would it mean to sacrifi ce the rest? Does your product still work? In what respects does it work better?