On: Make something people need

[ThomPete]

if they need it they want it, if they want it they need it

[barefoot → ThomPete]

"if they want it they need it"

Disagree. I want a new 2G iPad, but my 1G iPad works well enough and I don't need it. I would like one but I'm not going to express that desire with cash.

I see where you're going but I think it's an important distinction to make, especially with consumers. It's easy to take a sharp rational mindset and project it onto the fish in the stream... but that may not be the best model for predicting how they think about your products.

[shin_lao → ThomPete]

You might need to educate customers about their need. They might need something without knowing it.

[ThomPete → shin_lao]

Then they don't want it.

[omh → ThomPete]

Absolutely. So they can need it but not want it.

And as barefoot says above, you can want a product without needing it.

Need/Want may be correlated, but they certainly don't imply each other, in either direction.

[ThomPete → omh]

There is an infinite amount of things that we need/want if we follow that definition which again simply removes the meaning of the distinction.

There is no insight to be gained from the distinction, it's semantic masturbation nothing else.

[bosie → ThomPete]

correct. but if you don't know it even exists, how could you need it? especially considering that all startups are just luxury products, since humans don't need anything other than water and food.

[omh → bosie]

In many cases we could get into the definition of 'need'.

But consider something like legal/regulatory requirements. Perhaps you don't know about some law at the moment, but you should be complying with it. I have a product that fixes this problem for you. Until I call you, you don't want it but you still need it. When I tell you this, hopefully you'll understand and I have a good chance of a sale.

[yesbabyyes → bosie]

I'm working on something now which gives me a feeling I have never experienced before: Creating this product will create the need for it.

This is because, if your competitors have it, you must have it also. And if it exists, and your competitors can afford it, they will buy it.

It's a great feeling, I just hope I'm right!