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.
The market research industry has evolved dramatically since then, embracing online panels, behavioral data, and AI. It is now possible to have thousands of conversations with customers at a fraction of the time and cost. But does having more customer insight actually lead to better products?
