Why 70% of New Products Fail (And How to Join the 30% That Don't)

What if everything you thought you knew about building a successful business was actually holding you back?

In our Designing a Business in person workshop at ignite sparked by BBB, we shattered one of the most dangerous myths in business: "If we build it, they will come." This single assumption has killed more startups and stalled more established companies than any market crash or economic downturn.

Our workshop wasn't just another business seminar, it was a systematic deconstruction of the thinking patterns that keep businesses stuck, and a hands-on introduction to the UNbox-inn Process™, a five-step framework designed to create customer-centered solutions that actually work.

The Assumption Trap

We opened with a sobering statistic: 70% of new products fail not because of poor execution, but because they solve problems customers don't actually have. The room fell silent as participants recognized themselves in this reality.

This is where the UNbox-inn Process™ begins, not with solutions, but with challenging the very assumptions that drive our decision-making.

Step 1: CHALLENGE - Questioning Everything We Think We Know

The first step of our framework forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: our assumptions about our customers are often wrong. Instead of building what we think people want, we must first Challenge every assumption we hold about their needs, behaviors, and desires.

During the workshop, participants wrote their core business assumptions on sticky notes, assumptions like "customers want the cheapest option" or "people don't have time for complex solutions." Then we systematically questioned each one.

Step 2: REFRAME - The Power of "How Might We"

Traditional business thinking asks "How do we sell more?" or "How do we beat the competition?" The Reframe step introduces a more powerful question: "How might we...?"

This simple shift transforms problem-solving from company-centered to customer-centered. Instead of asking "How do we get customers to buy our product?" we ask "How might we help busy professionals save time on their daily routines?" We practiced this reframing technique extensively.

A kids learning app entrepreneur shifted from "How do I get more clients?" to "How might we help parents teach their kinds that matter most about finances?" This reframe opened up entirely new service possibilities he hadn’t never considered.

Step 3: REDESIGN - Getting Rid of the Box

Here's where we challenged another limiting concept: "thinking outside the box." The problem isn't that we need to think outside the box, it's that we're still thinking with a box in mind.

True innovation happens when we Redesign without constraints, when we completely eliminate the box and reimagine what's possible. We introduced the Jobs-to-be-Done framework, which helps us understand not just what customers do, but why they hire our products or services to do specific jobs in their lives.

Step 4: TAKE ACTION - The Prototype-to-Learn Mindset

The fourth step moves from analysis to experimentation. Take Action doesn't mean building the full solution—it means creating the smallest possible test to validate our redesigned understanding.

We emphasized rapid prototyping using whatever materials were available. Building blocks became app interfaces, a pieces of paper became service blueprints, and coffee cups became customer journey maps. The goal wasn't perfection, it was learning.

A participant that was building a coaching service prototyped three different concepts. By the end of the workshop, she'd already she identified her new value preposition and offering and was ready to test it with real customers.

Step 5: FIND PURPOSE - Why Play Changes Everything

The final step, Find Purpose, recognizes that sustainable business success comes from aligning what we do with why it matters. But here's the crucial insight we explored: play isn't just fun, it's a fundamental innovation tool.

Play allows us to experiment without the pressure of immediate results. It encourages wild ideas, unexpected connections, and breakthrough thinking. During our play-based ideation session, participants combined building blocks to create entirely new business concepts. The energy was infectious, and the ideas were surprisingly viable.

One tech startup founder used play to reimagine her entire user onboarding process, turning a traditionally boring experience into an engaging game that actually increased user retention.

The Real Framework in Action

The UNbox-inn Process™ isn't just theory it's a practical framework that transforms how businesses approach innovation:

• Challenge assumptions to avoid building solutions to non-existent problems

• Reframe problems with "How might we" to maintain customer focus

• Redesign without constraints using jobs-to-be-done insights

• Take action through rapid prototyping and testing

• Find purpose by aligning business goals with customer needs

Beyond the Workshop: New Perspectives, New Possibilities

By the end of the session, participants had experienced a fundamental shift in perspective. They walked away not just with new tools, but with new ways of seeing their businesses entirely.

Instead of asking "What can we build?" they were asking "What job are we being hired to do?"

Instead of assuming customer needs, they were designing experiments to discover them.

Instead of thinking outside the box, they were eliminating the box entirely.

The Customer-Centered Evolution

The workshop revealed a profound truth: businesses don't fail because of poor execution they fail because they execute the wrong things most of the time.

Our tools and framworks provide a systematic way to ensure we're building what customers actually need, not what we think they should want.

This isn't just about improving existing businesses - it's about reimagining what business can be when we put customer needs at the center of everything we do.

Your Journey Starts Here

The most dangerous assumption in business is that we already know what our customers want. The UNbox-inn Process™ provides a proven framework for challenging these assumptions and building solutions that create real impact.

Ready to challenge your own assumptions and redesign your approach to business growth? The framework is waiting, but first, you need to be willing to get rid of the box entirely.

Learn more about Innovationist Playbox and contact us to discover how the UNbox-inn Process™ can transform your business approach.