I think we could all look like geniuses if we listened to our customers more. And responded to what we heard. In fact. it is amazing how smart you look when you do what your customer really wants.

So, as flattering as it is for someone to think I am a genius, I think what I am proposing when I say "do it wrong quickly" is that it is OK not be a genius. It's OK to admit that what we are doing is probably wrong. And it's OK to try it anyway.

We can measure how our customers respond and then try something else. After a number of these iterations (maybe a very high number), we may eventually lurch into the "right" answer—and look like geniuses.

So, thanks Ben, for that highly complimentary blog entry. It just makes me think about how all of us can look like geniuses by trying things. When they don't work (they usually won't), then we try something else.

On a side note, one place where I am most definitely not a genius is in setting up contests. My first contest drew exactly one entry and my second one, which times out on August 1, has so far (wait for it) one entry. So if you have a story on how listening to your customer made you look like a genius, please pass it along—you may win a copy of me new book. If you can tell a story of how you were able to do it wrong quickly, enter now.