Steve Jobs Didn’t Trust Focus Groups to Inform Product Design. These AI Entrepreneurs Believe They’ve Solved the Problem
In a 1998 interview, Steve Jobs was asked whether Apple had done consumer research when developing the iMac. At the time, Apple was trying to revive its fortunes after years of decline, and the iMac—with its radically different, translucent shell—was a bold gamble for a company fighting to regain its footing. The question was straightforward: How much of the product had been shaped by what consumers said they wanted? Jobs’ answer was more nuanced. Apple had plenty of research on its existing customers and watched industry trends closely, he said. But he was wary of using focus groups to design complex products. “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them,” he told Businessweek.
TL;DR
- Steve Jobs was wary of using focus groups for product design, believing people don't know what they want until shown.
- Conveo, a Belgian startup, uses AI to analyze thousands of video conversations to identify customer patterns, frustrations, and needs.
- The AI moderator can analyze body language and tone, and react in real-time, aiming to bridge the gap between quantitative and qualitative research.
- Critics argue that AI moderation lacks the relational and reflective depth of human qualitative research.
- Conveo emphasizes AI's benefits for large-scale, multilingual research, data consistency, and encouraging honest feedback.
- Conveo has raised $55.8 million in total funding, with a recent $50 million Series A, and is expanding into the U.S. market.