5 Maxims for Creating Products That Meet Real Needs Five maxims to help you invent the next paradigm-shattering product or era-altering service.

By Aaron Price

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Marcus Weldon is focused on the future. As president of Bell Labs, a research and scientific development company that has been awarded -- ahem -- eight Nobel Prizes, he knows a thing or two about invention, innovation and solving needs.

Want the blueprint to creating impact in the future? Here are Weldon's five maxims to help you invent the next paradigm-shattering product or era-altering service:

1. Focus on human need.

By solving problems for people, you will always be ahead of the curve. Weldon quotes Jeff Bezos as the quintessential example on this. Jeff says "Amazon focuses on the things that don't change, not the the things that do change."

Humans will always needs goods, and need goods quickly. Amazon has optimized the delivery of goods to the modern-day consumer, and thus created an indispensible business. A great question to ask yourself is: what age-old problem can you update or solve?

Related: The 7 Steps of Effective Product Development

The goal of the future is to save people time.

"Time is the one commodity that we have a finite amount of and there aren't many ways to optimize it." He points to a few examples of time-saving inventions:

  • A printing machine vs. writing by hand? A printing machine saves you time.
  • Driving a car vs. walking? A car gets you there faster.
  • The Hubble Space Telescope vs. physically going into space to collect information? The HST is a much quicker way to learn about the solar system.

If you want to create an indispensable product or service for the future, figure out the next great way to save people precious seconds, minutes, hours or days.

Related: The 3 Biggest Roadblocks in Product Development

Automation = the future.

Weldon predicts an oncoming technology revolution that will "outstrip and outshine the information era as we know it." This future tech revolution will be focused on the automation of everything, to save humans -- you guessed it -- more time.

Related: 3 Simple Product Development Lessons All Entrepreneurs Should Remember

Connect the physical and digital realms.

Systems like media, global devices, and web systems have all been interconnected – but not our cities, our communities, or our infrastructure. Weldon believes the intertwining of the physical and digital worlds, (current example: a Fitbit) will be the wave of innovative products in the future.

Related: 4 Tips for Developing a Product Around an Unknown Concept

Create knowledge.

What's humanity's future problem going to be? Too much information. The inundation of data creates distraction and overwhelms, and as we connect more systems and realms in the future, our data will only increase. The future of problem-solving and innovation will be zeroed in on turning the millions of pieces of data we receive online into relevant knowledge. Weldon defines relevant knowledge as what you need to know, not just what you want to know. If you can figure out a way to turn the oncoming onslaught of information into something meaningful for people – you'll have a product or service driving impact in the future.

Related: From Prototype to Product: 3 Things You Must Do

Want to hear more from Marcus Weldon's talk? Sign up for a complimentary Propelify Insider membership and receive access to our library of incredible content and talks from innovators, changemakers, and entrepreneurial geniuses like Al Gore, Divyank Turakhia, Arianna Huffington, Jason Fiefer, and more.

Wavy Line
Aaron Price

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Writer

Founder, Propelify.com / NJ Tech Meetup

Aaron is the founder of Propelify, built to empower innovators. The Propelify Innovation Festival unites 10,000 innovators with talks, exhibitors, drones, virtual reality, investors, music and more. Aaron is founder of the NJ Tech Meetup, NJ's largest technology & entrepreneurial community.

Editor's Pick

A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
Lock
One Man's Casual Side Hustle Became an International Phenomenon — And It's on Track to See $15 Million in Revenue This Year
Lock
3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even If Nobody Is Engaging With You
Why a Strong Chief Financial Officer Is Crucial for Your Franchise — and What to Look for When Hiring One

Related Topics

Growing a Business

This Stock Screener is on Sale for Memorial Day

invest while mitigating risk with this top-rated stock screening app.

Starting a Business

5 Tips For Launching a Business While Keeping Your Day Job

Launching a business while holding down a 9-to-5 is no small feat. It's a common path for aspiring entrepreneurs, but it's not without its challenges.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2023.