A new product succeeds through the people and processes that allow it to be chosen, installed and used.
01 · The picture
A new product succeeds through the people and processes that allow it to be chosen, installed and used.
Follow the decisions
01User value
02Decision makers
03Adoption barriers
04Supported use
02 · The idea
How I understand it.
A product can create clear value and still face a difficult route into everyday use. Map everyone whose behaviour must change: the user, buyer, distributor, installer, adviser or internal approver. Each may face a different risk, effort or incentive. A customer may welcome a new feature while an installer worries about unfamiliar work or future support. Investigate these barriers directly and design the introduction around them. Training, demonstrations, service arrangements and channel choices may matter alongside product performance. Run a small adoption test that follows the product through the whole journey. Track where progress stops and why. Technical quality remains important, but commercial progress also depends on whether the surrounding system makes the change understandable, worthwhile and practical.
03 · A fictional example
Put it into a business.
A company develops an efficient commercial heating controller. Building owners like the promised savings, but maintenance contractors hesitate to recommend unfamiliar equipment. The company pilots installer training, clear support arrangements and a demonstration building. It records actual installation effort, service questions and purchasing decisions to understand which barriers remain before expanding distribution or committing to a larger launch.
04 · Bring it into the room
Whose cooperation is essential for your product to reach everyday use, and what makes adoption difficult for them?
One decisionOne next actionOne way to check
Where this note comes from
An original explanation drawn from my saved learning material. The worked example is fictional.
Harvard OPM · Unit 2Course reading or session material
Module Overview - Sessions by Professor Applegate
Session faculty: Lynda M. Applegate
PDF pages 1–2; Aqualisa Quartz product value, selling difficulty and go-to-market questions
These notes collect my interpretations and applications. The schools and authors retain their original teaching materials.