Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs Hardcover – June 30, 2008

"Tuned In" helps you get a good hypothesis. My favorite part is about the importance of talking to non-customers -- not just existing customers. The principles of this book work; we used it at a startup to achieve 100x revenue growth during my time there. Also, this book doesn't go deep into execution of the hypothesis; for that I recommend a different book "Lean Startup".

This is a pretty simple and quick read book even during your vacations. I completed this book during my Christmas vacation and felt more recharged.
This books mentions clearly how one should listen to the customers on what the market demands instead of being in your own magical world of technology. It also shows clearly how the senior management executives are totally disconnected or tuned-out with what the market demands. One of the core reason why they believe it that way is that they often hear about only a blocking or a competitive big deal.

I would not really take the iPod example as the most tuned-in sample as I consider the iPod was more of cool product which was built on innovation by Steve Jobs and not precise to the customer looking. Most of the other examples are pretty great across various verticals. I would have loved to see examples from 3M, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and also some field surveys along with financial results to back up some of the examples. Also it would have been nice to create a detailed questionnaire to be asked within every company to know how tuned-out companies they are. (The generic question on page 27 is good).

I've been through the seminars on Practical Product Management delivered through the authors' firm (Pragmatic Marketing). As a CTO it was an eye-opener to see an approach to Product Management that meshed with the concepts of Agile Development in the software field. The two disciplines work well together to create software products that resonate with customers.

This book is not so much breaking new ground, but distilling years of learning into a simple introductory form for folks who might be interested in moving from an inside-out/command-and-control view of the market. It makes a strong empirical business case for doing things differently.

Highly recommended if you're starting a business, launching a new business unit or product line, or simple want to spark growth in existing efforts. You might even learn which existing efforts are not tuned-in and pull back on their funding so you can invest in products and services that the market wants.

I talk to product managers every week and they always ask "How do I convince my management?" If your management team doesn't understand the role of the market in making product decisions, get Tuned In. Many companies rely on development ideas or sales people's deals, or they listen to one big customer and assume that they've listened to the market. Being 'tuned in' to the market means building a product that resonates with buyers, focusing on a market full of customers and not just the one.

The book introduces a six step process to create a product that sells itself. Based on 15 years of industry experience and research, Tuned In shows executive teams the steps to product success.

Interruption marketing (most mass media advertising) is becoming more expensive and reaching fewer people that care. And if you compound the problem by creating a product that you are trying to sell rather than creating one that is "Tuned In" to your market, you have compounded the problem.

When creating a product or service, most businesses make these common mistakes: They assume that the company insiders know more than the buyers about what the buyers want/need. They based their market research on their current customer base - thus eliminating a much larger potnetial market share of potential customers. And they try to create a need - the tell their customers what to buy rather than providing what the customers want.

To be successful in today's highly competitve marketplace, you need a breakthrough product that resonates with your customers so that they immediately understand the benefit to them and are eager to buy the product. This only happens if you are totally Tuned In to the customer's wants/needs.

"The Tuned In company constantly listens to, observes and understands the problems the buyers are willing to pay money to solve." for the most part, Tuned In companies ignore the competition - listening instead to the customers.

Too many companies get caught up in their own egos. They think they know what the customer wants. Most innovation-driven companies listen only to themselves - they obsess about who will get credit for the next innovation or the most unique invention. And all too often the newest innovation does not solve a problem for the customer, so they simply do not care.

If you are going to be successful, your product or service must resonate with your target market. And resonators are in the market - not in your head. A product or service that resonates with the market will sell itself. You do not need to push the product. Customers will seek out your product or service.

One of the most powerful (but probably difficult concepts to come to grips with) statements is "Your opinion, although interesting, is irrelevant." The only thing that matters is the buyer's opinion.

There are six steps to becoming a Tuned In company.

Step one - Find unresolved problems.

Step two - Understand the buyer persona. Who is the buyer, what are their problems, what moves them to take action.

Step three - Quantify the impact. You must determine that the problem you are solving is urgent, pervasive and the buyer is willing to spend money to solve the problem.

Step four - Create a breakthrough experience - the most successful companies understand that the customer buys a total experience - one that resonates.

Step five - Articulate a powerful idea. Your message must focus on the problem it is solving and must be immediately understood by the buyer.

Step six - Establish authentic Connections - you must understand and focus on the buyer. The buyer must feel like you really understand and care about them and their problems.

It is no longer possible to push product by using mass advertising. Buyers are more concerned about their problems and getting them solved. They no longer wait for a solution to come to them. They are actively looking for solutions to their problems. If you are going to be successful, you must understand their problems and be Tuned In to the buyer.

The book is well written and give plenty of examples of Tuned In companies such as: Zipcar, iPod, National Community Church and the new Dutch Boy paint containers.

It is very important to understand that to be successful today that you must take a different approach than has worked in the past. Buyers have many more choices. Markets are fragmented. And interruption marketing no longer has the impact it once did. You cannot focus on your product. You must focus on the problems your product solves for the buyer.

It is easy to believe that being Tuned In does not apply to your business. It is also very easy to fail. This is a very important concept and a very easy to understand gateway to what it takes to market successfully in a world that changed the way buyers respond.

You don't have to get Tuned In, but if you don't the chances are very high you will be tuned out by your cusomters.