- Whatever
your idea is, take the time to validate it, talk about it and ask the advice of
the people who need your company’s services and listen to their stories. That
creates a lot of valuable feedback. - As you
grow, your customers will tell you what they want and how you need to grow.
Darren
Wendroff, founder, CareSpotter
- If you’re considering a new product or service, consult the end
users and clients as centerpieces every step of the way. Without them as your
partners and collaborators, you’re not going to end up with a product of any
use or meaning to them. Start-up businesses should look to them as a guiding
force.
Carrie Neiman, M.D., co-founder of Access Hears
- To enter the seniors market businesses
need a true understanding of older adults and their needs. The reward for them
is a huge and loyal market that poses wonderful opportunities for start-ups.
David
Lindeman, PhD, director, Center for Technology in Aging at the
University of California Berkeley:
- The Baby Boomers will not go quietly into the night. This is not
your father’s or your grandmother’s aging population. They want to stay active
and perform as well as they can for as long as they can. So don’t give up. Fail
forward quickly. Keep moving and experimenting to figure out what will work for
your customers.
Alexander
Bartkow, founder, Project Carbon
This story was produced
with support from the Journalists in Aging Fellowships, a program of New
America Media and the Gerontological Society of America, sponsored by the John
Hartford Foundation.
