We all would love to have some great insight into where we can find a new and powerful competitive advantage. We would love to be able to read the minds of our customers so that we could add immense value to their lives and earn their business for a lifetime.

Unless you are Yoda or Miss Cleo the mind reading thing is probably out of the question. So how do we get the most useful insight in the shortest amount of time possible so we can get back to creating value and profit?

The answer is to look to your extreme users.

If I own a business that is trying to develop ways to help people quit smoking, I need to find out who the extreme users are. In this case I would look to those smoking two packs a day for twenty years, and those that just started smoking.

By observing and interviewing the person that just started, I could gain insight as to why they started in the first place. What made them pick up the first cigarette? After you thought the first one was terrible, why did you light another one?

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I could ask the twenty-year chain smoker what affect smoking has had on their lives. What’s the burden you carry now? What would they say to the new smoker in hindsight? What would it take to change a twenty-year behavior and pattern?

If you’re looking to solve a problem or find a solution inside of your business the best place to do your research is in the field and with people that are in their natural state. Trying to innovate and speculate on your market from a board room is, quite nearly, a waste of time.

Extreme users give us clear, simple and direct insight while the middle ground could lead us to chasing our tails. If you take the time to study and ask questions of your extreme customers, I think you’ll find your greatest advantages were right under your nose.