Forget the Customer, See the Person

There has been a trend over the past few years to focus on big data and AI and to believe that data and technology can give us everything we could possibly need to know about our customers. We propose that while big data has its place and value, it is only one piece of the puzzle. The way the world works nowadays makes it really hard and expensive to stand out as a product-centric company. Another key piece of the puzzle is the human side of data and business. Focusing on customers as human beings and on what they care about, desire and value is a much better approach, known as customer-centricity. In this book, we explain the difference between these two approaches and advocate for the balance between them. We tell stories, give examples, and provide simple overviews on how to gather all the right information to ensure that businesses can create meaningful connections with their customers.