Light & Fast Lead User Workshop

While Kevin was in NM this past weekend visiting his mom and eating Oryx, I had the opportunity to go to Golden, CO and participate in a workshop that GORE put on along with a German company they had hired, HYVE. It was a marketing research workshop that lead users in the outdoors/sporting industries were a part of. It was a small group, just 7 lead users of various sports-ultra running, triathlon, mountaineering, fly fishing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking, etc. 

Gore is beginning to think about a new line of products that are "light & fast". For what sports exactly is still being determined, which is why they wanted to know what, we as the users, are currently using, what we like/dislike about products on the market, what we would change, things that are not on the market but want to see, etc. 

I love that good companies are going directly to the consumer to find out what we want. Great ideas in the shop are wonderful but will someone buy it? So often companies don't ask users what they want and when it doesn't fly off the shelves they are surprised! Hello?!?!

It was  a weekend full of brain storming, creativity, product development, playing with gear, and meeting new people. I loved getting to talk with other athletes and learning about what they are using when they train and race. The group from HYVE did a fantastic job and so did GORE. I hope that I can be involved as some of the fantastic ideas we came up with come into fruition in the next 2-5 years! If it does, you're going to be amazed because it's some pretty incredible innovation! 

This was right up my alley, market research and sports! I loved it. I wish I could get paid full time to do stuff like this....hmmm, there's idea-I'm going to work on that! 

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!