Interview with Dan Walker
Getting clear about what customers really want
Every once in a while you run into someone who shares an observation that makes you stop in your tracks and really THINK about something in a new way.  Dan Walker is someone who did that for me.
Before that, let me share what he told me first. Dan asked me a critical question:  Are manufacturers in the businesses of making things, or are they actually in fact providing services? I won’t spoil Dan’s points here, but just think about this idea.
When we make thing to sell, say a bicycle, when we get paid for that bike, what are we really getting paid for? 
The bike itself, or for the service we provided to develop, tool-up, make and deliver that bike to the consumer in a cost and time effective way?