Way back, when I was in business school, my marketing class was working on a case study having to do with dish-washing liquids. The challenge was to explore a niche that the new entrant would take. Would it be low-cost, soft on the hands, cuts grease, etc?

As a young bachelor dude living off take-out food, I raised my hand and expressed confusion about why anyone would care about such features. Price was what counted, I confidently declared. SOOOO quickly, I was taken out back and shot. Many in the room jumped on me and expressed that they cared deeply about the features of the dish-washing detergent. The professor used me as the prime example of the trap of thinking YOU are the customer.

Almost everyone who designs products and starts companies fall into the trap of designing with your own emotions and needs in mind. Even after my highly-public b-school fail, I fall into the trap. But dammit, unless you are Steve Jobs (who has the rare skill of knowing what the customer wants), stop it!