In this issue:

• Why Didn't We Think of That?
  Products and services that resonate.
  Hit products and services lik the iPod, Starbucks and FedEx were seemingly embraced by the market overnight. But it wasn't luck, creativity or marketing that led to their success.
  

• To Startup or Not to Startup?
  To a big-company product manager, working for a startup can look like a dream. Having a huge impact on the company's success or failure - coupled with the rush that comes from knowing that your ability to listen to the market guided the company to new heights - can make the red tape of a large company look boring and stodgy. Here are some pros and cons to consider before moving to a start-up.
  

• The New Leader Development Dilemma and How to Fix It
  Why not promote our best and brightest to lead? After all, these individuals proved themselves as individual contributors, managing projects or products, or serving customers. Their high level of performance in the past bodes well for their potential as a manager. Or does it?
  
• Utilizing Co-Design to Create Market-Driven Products
  Designers are not typically users of a product, yet they often engineer a product with little or no end user involvement and without understanding in advance how it will be received by the targeted audience. It's a risky proposition. To design a successful product, you must figure out who is going to use it and understand what problem it is solving. But let's take it one step further...for maximum success, products should be co-designed by the intended audience.

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