Taking our lead from focus groups, which are a tried and tested staple of market research, we know we need to trust the anecdote of the consumer. The same thing happens in the 113 Industries process. We understand that listening to these anecdotes does two things: It helps us understand what matters to consumers and even what else might matter without the consumer even realizing it—the unarticulated need.

The reason we know what consumers say is actually what they’re doing or how they’re behaving is because these conversations are organic. People don’t go online to talk about products because they’re bored. They might need help or advice, want to vent or just talk about their passion for a product. There’s an actual reason behind the action. By listening to organic anecdotes, we can learn what actually matters because the consumer took the initiative to get online and talk about it.