The Product Must Evolve with the Customer Base

A "complete product" is not a static entity. Its definition is determined by the needs and desires of the current customer base, and that base changes radically over a product's life cycle. A product that is not continuously updated to meet the needs of the next wave of customers will fail.

The Customer Evolution Cycle:

1. Innovators: The very first buyers. They are technology enthusiasts who want to be on the cutting edge. They expect an incomplete product with bugs and poor documentation, and they enjoy being part of the creation process. For them, a "complete product" is often a functionally working device.
2. Early Adopters / Followers: A broader group that is interested in the benefits of the technology but requires a more polished solution. They need application software, better documentation, and a more stable product to be successful.
3. Late Adopters: The mass market or risk-averse businesses (e.g., automotive companies). They require a proven, bulletproof, and fully supported product. For them, any malfunction or documentation error is a major failure. The product must be completely reliable and easy to use.

The Marketing Imperative:

Marketing's job is to ensure the product remains "complete" at each stage. This means constantly reviewing every dimension of the product and adding the necessary features, support, and services to satisfy the evolving customer base.

A common mistake is to enter a mature market with a device that would have been a great product for innovators but is woefully incomplete for the current majority of followers or late adopters. This is a failure to recognize that the definition of the product itself has changed. This is a dynamic aspect of The Strategic principle of Marketing.