For these questions, assume that the company president has called you in for a chat about some of your ideas. In each of the following situations, how would you respond?
"Now, when it comes to customer satisfaction and customer integration, I am a fanatic. You wouldn't believe how much we have learned about our customers' needs from discussion sessions we have with them. But, hold on. To integrate customers into the technical development parts of our new products operation would be very dangerous. A lot of what we do must be secret--we can't patent most of our ideas, and timing is everything. That's why we put so much emphasis on speed of development. But I still get pushed to do more. Help me. Tell me all the things we might do to get integrated customers but at the same time minimize our risks of losing our secrets."
"We recently acquired a small toy company, and I'm scheduled to meet with their management next week. I know they really don't do much use testing--I think someone told me they have a bunch of kids come to their plant and play with the proposed toys. Must work for them, we paid a huge multiple for their stock. What should I tell them, or be looking for, relative to your list of 13 decisions?