External Perspectives as Growth Levers
Companies should listen when customers bring ideas to the table. Or, at least hear ‘em out.
Most companies spend millions trying to understand what customers want - surveys, agencies, consultants, etc. And yet, when someone reaches out directly with an idea for management, most businesses brush it off, don’t answer, or send a canned response.
It’s one of the most underutilized and cost-efficient sources of innovation out there - customers or people who care enough to reach out about a value-add idea.
The Missed Opportunity
If someone takes the time to email your company with an idea, it means they’re already invested to some degree - either a customer, user, etc. They’ve likely lived the experience and seen the gaps that your internal team might be too close to notice.
But, what usually happens? The email or inbound goes to die in the bureaucracy of an “external” reaching out. Not only is that a missed potential opportunity to get a new idea or perspective, it’s a signal that the company is closed off to one of the most authentic forms of market research it can get - an idea from a customer.
Why Companies Probably Resist External Ideas
There are, of course, understandable reasons for this reluctance. Legal teams worry about IP and ownership. Product and marketing teams fear being flooded with noise. Leadership assumes if it didn’t come from inside, it’s not credible.
But, behind those barriers sets a deeper issue: ego and inertia. Innovation is often treated as something that must be controlled - a top down process managed by ‘experts’. The idea that an outsider (a customer, for example) might come up with something better can feel threatening. That mindset is exactly what keeps companies stagnant. A true flaw of corporate culture.
Customer-Led Ideation as a Cost-Efficient Growth Lever
In an environment where growth capital is scarce and marketing budgets are under pressure to improve efficiency, customer-led ideation is one of the most capital-efficient R&D channels a company can tap into. The ROI isn’t just in potential product ideas - it’s in the goodwill and advocacy you build. Every customer who feels heard becomes a more loyal one.
Examples That Prove It Works
Some brands have mastered this model already:
LEGO Ideas lets fans submit and vote on new set concepts. The winning ones go to market and the creator gets a cut of revenue. Genius.
Starbucks’ My Starbucks Idea crowdsourced hundreds of innovations - from mobile ordering to new flavor launches.
These are two mere examples of companies that built systems to treat outsider input as a resource, not a risk.
External Perspectives = Innovation Efficiency
Companies that spend heavily on trying to generate insights make me laugh. Bleeding cash on focus groups, brand trackers, market studies, you name it. How many times have you (a customer) been asked by a brand about your experience with their product, location, etc.? I bet it’s close to never. Management teams do everything except interact with actual customers. The true irony lies in the customer will give you those insights for free. Ha.
Listening is cheaper than guessing. Collaboration is faster than bureaucracy.
The Bigger Lesson
Not every customer idea will be good. I’m sure a good chunk of them will be stupid. But every interaction that makes someone feel heard strengthens your brand. And occasionally, you’ll uncover something that changes your trajectory - a new product, distribution tweak, new offering, a partnership insight.
In a world obsessed with data, it’s refreshing (and efficient) to remember that your customers are humans who are generally wiling to help.
The smartest companies let them.