The customer development process
Edwin J. Nijssen · 2017
This chapter explains the need for customer buy-in and a separate customer development process and discusses the different steps of the customer development process and its relationship with product development. It describes the role of marketing and sales in the customer development team. The chapter illustrates different roles customers may have in the customer development process. New product development is the process of creating a new product and bringing it to market. It involves several steps, including new product idea generation and selection, concept development, prototyping, market testing and launch. Customers are, arguably, the most important external partner for small entrepreneurial firms developing major innovations. Therefore, it is important to understand the role customers can play in the new product development process of these firms. For entrepreneurs, involving lead target customers in their product development is important. The information from validating product concept with lead and other prospective customers may lead to improving or abandoning the current business model.