Liquid Media

“A camel is a horse designed by committee.”
(source)

The camel/horse quote (no disparagement to camels meant, of course) perfectly captures the problem when too many people have input into a product. Seth Godin talks about how the Walkman would never have been built if Sony had asked its customers what they wanted (see Purple Cow). A few days ago Robert Scoble talked about how a Porsche would be a Volvo if they let their buyers decide on features:

“if you asked a group of Porsche owners what they wanted they’d tell you things like “smoother ride, more trunk space, more leg room, etc.” He’d then say “well, they just designed a Volvo.””

via No! Never Surrender To Your Users, Facebook.

see also Don’t Believe Everything You Hear: Why Listening to Your Customers can be Hazardous to Your Health