Ever wondered how Zoom became more popular than Skype or Cisco Webex? Zoom’s rapid rise wasn’t just due to a great product; it was the result of close collaboration with customers. From the beginning, Zoom aimed to create a frustration-free experience with the goal of “delivering happiness.” By listening to customers and involving them in the product’s evolution, Zoom built a user-centric platform that users love to recommend.

In 2021, Zoom experienced a 326% growth surge, fueled in large part by its customer co-creation practices. Customer co-creation goes beyond simply gathering feedback; it involves actively partnering with users to shape the products they love. Let’s explore why product managers should embrace customer co-creation, and how it can lead to stronger products, higher engagement, and a community of brand evangelists.

Understanding Customer Co-Creation

Customer co-creation is an approach where companies work directly with their users to innovate, improve, and refine their products. It’s more than just listening to feedback; it’s about diving deeper to understand the context and pain points behind user suggestions, and involving users in designing solutions.

For example, Canny, a feedback management tool, empowers product managers to work closely with users by enabling real-time feedback discussions. Canny’s platform allows PMs to track feedback, discuss ideas with users, and update them on progress — fostering a community of users who feel valued and engaged.

Mariah Hay, CEO of Allboarder and former Chief Experience Officer at Help Scout, describes her approach to co-creation as rooted in design thinking and lean methodologies. These practices emphasize empathizing with users, ideating solutions, and iterating based on feedback. Co-creation sessions may involve design workshops, feedback loops, and hackathons, all of which invite customers to play an active role in product design.

Benefits of Customer Co-Creation

Why should product managers invest time and resources in customer co-creation? Here are some compelling benefits that make it worth the effort.

1. Increased Product Adoption

Co-creation fosters a two-way dialogue between users and product teams, resulting in features that are better aligned with user needs. When users feel involved, they’re more likely to adopt and champion the product.

By engaging users in product development, you build a sense of ownership that leads to stronger engagement and adoption.

2. Accelerated Innovation at Reduced Costs

Building products in isolation can lead to costly pivots when products miss the mark. With co-creation, product managers can avoid expensive missteps by validating ideas early on with users. This approach allows you to test ideas quickly, refine them based on real-world feedback, and avoid significant budget overruns.

3. Fresh Ideas and Real-Time Insights

Customer co-creation is a powerful way to gather ideas from those who interact with your product daily. Users provide insights grounded in real-world use cases, helping you prioritize features that truly matter.

4. Enhanced Brand Loyalty and Community Building

When users see that their feedback shapes the product, it builds trust and loyalty. Customers become emotionally invested in the product’s success, often becoming brand advocates who refer others and drive organic growth.

Customer Co-Creation Models and Frameworks

There are several effective models for implementing customer co-creation. Here are some of the most popular approaches to help you get started:

1. Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is an excellent way to gather ideas from a large user base. This model allows customers to submit ideas and vote on their favorites, providing a clear picture of what users find most valuable.

Example: ClickUp uses Canny to streamline feedback. Users can submit ideas and vote, helping the team surface the most popular requests. This approach not only gathers ideas but also engages users by letting them voice their priorities.

2. Customer Advisory Boards (CABs)

CABs consist of a select group of users who commit to providing ongoing feedback. CAB members often include high-value or early adopters who have a deep understanding of the product’s potential and pain points.

Example: Slack’s CAB model involved 100 pilot users in a shared Slack channel where they provided real-time feedback during a major redesign. The team quickly iterated on prototypes, incorporating direct user insights into the design.

3. Design Thinking Workshops

Design thinking workshops offer a structured, collaborative approach to problem-solving. These workshops bring users and team members together to brainstorm, prototype, and test solutions.

Example: Asana integrates design thinking by engaging customers through its Voice of Customer and Ambassador programs. This hands-on approach aligns with Asana’s commitment to empathy and continuous iteration, ensuring the product meets user needs at every stage.

4. Innovation Games

Innovation games are structured activities that encourage users to express needs and preferences in a playful, collaborative environment.

Example: “Buy a Feature” is a popular innovation game where users are given hypothetical money to “buy” features they want. This game reveals user priorities in an engaging way, guiding PMs in resource allocation.

How to Implement Customer Co-Creation

Ready to embrace co-creation? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you launch your co-creation initiatives effectively.

1. Define Clear Objectives

Before you start, determine what you want to achieve. Are you aiming to refine a specific feature? Improve usability? Identifying your goals will guide the entire co-creation process.

2. Identify Key Stakeholders

Co-creation works best with the right mix of participants. Involve team members from product, design, engineering, and sales, as well as key customers who represent your target audience. You can even invite users who have previously left detailed feedback, as they’re likely to have valuable insights.

3. Develop a Communication Plan

Transparency is essential for building trust with users involved in co-creation. Explain the goals, their role, and how their input will be used. Keep communication channels open and provide updates on how their feedback shapes the product. Tools like Canny can help automate updates, so users stay informed on the progress of their suggestions.

4. Choose the Right Tools

The right tools can make co-creation smoother and more effective. Here are some options to consider:

• Community Platforms (Slack, Discord): Foster a real-time, interactive space where users and team members can share ideas.
• Feedback Tools (Canny): Allow users to submit, vote on, and track feedback, creating an engaging and organized feedback pipeline.
• Design Collaboration (Miro, Figma): Real-time design tools enable users to comment on mockups and even contribute to co-designing elements.

With the right tools in place, you’ll be able to create a streamlined co-creation experience that’s both productive and enjoyable.

Best Practices for Effective Customer Co-Creation

To get the most out of customer co-creation, keep these best practices in mind:

1. Empathy is Key: Approach co-creation with a genuine desire to understand users’ experiences. This mindset will help you uncover deeper insights and foster a collaborative atmosphere.

2. Encourage Open Dialogue: Foster an environment where users feel comfortable sharing honest feedback. Avoid getting defensive; instead, view feedback as a pathway to improvement.

3. Balance Feasibility and Vision: Not every idea will be practical, but be open to possibilities. Balance user input with business goals to find the right features to prioritize.

4. Keep Users Updated: Don’t leave users wondering if their feedback went into a void. Provide regular updates on the impact of their suggestions and celebrate co-created features with your community.

5. Iterate Based on Real-World Use: Co-creation doesn’t end with a single interaction. Continuously gather feedback and iterate on features to ensure they meet evolving user needs.

The Future of Product Development is Co-Creative

Embracing customer co-creation isn’t just about building a better product — it’s about creating meaningful, lasting relationships with users. In an era where user needs and expectations evolve rapidly, co-creation offers a strategic advantage by aligning product development closely with real-world use cases.

By incorporating user insights at every stage, product managers can build products that users love, creating a community of advocates who are excited to contribute and support the brand.

As co-creation becomes a standard practice, SaaS companies that prioritize collaboration will stand out in a crowded market. Beyond simply solving problems, co-creation builds a culture of innovation and engagement, where users aren’t just customers — they’re partners in building a product they believe in.

The journey to co-creation

begins with a simple step: opening the door to dialogue and inviting users to become part of your team. Embrace co-creation and transform your approach to product development into a pathway for deeper, more impactful relationships with your users.