By Carey Smith
When the “Internet of things” trend started surfacing, we, like many other companies, wanted to be a part of it. After meetings with Silicon Valley stalwarts, like Google, Apple and Amazon.com, we decided to develop our own Internet of things software and hired the people who could help us do it.
In the meantime, we engineered sensor technology that could enable our residential ceiling fans to respond to the indoor environment, including changes in temperature and humidity, as well as the motion of occupants. When we combined that hardware with our new software, we knew we had something exciting: the world’s first smart fan.
Roughly two years after our decision to make connected technology standard, I can say with confidence that just because you can make something with Internet of things technology doesn’t mean people will want it. Many of our customers don’t use the technology available to them. We get feedback from our customers that quality and aesthetics still matter more than smart features.
Here are five questions I’d urge consumer product companies to ask themselves before committing to smart products:
- Does this feature solve a real problem? So far, most connected products have been solutions in search of problems to solve.
- Do my customers genuinely want this? Don’t assume everyone is clamoring for connectivity just because it’s all over the news. Talk to your customers, and listen to what they say.
- Have I fully weighed the economics involved? Software in its current state creates opportunities, as well as many new expenses.
- Should I keep the work in-house or outsource it? We began by outsourcing the work but found ourselves being charged for every detail. But doing it in-house is a huge commitment. Weigh the ramifications of both options.
- Can I ensure a good customer experience? Be prepared to deal with your customers in an entirely new way. They’ll have different levels of technological expertise, and they’ll have questions that can only be answered by people who really understand the technology—and who may speak an entirely different language than other employees at your company.
Carey Smith founded fan and light manufacturer Big Ass Fans in 1999 in Lexington, Kentucky.