Not every innovation makes life better.

Sometimes they solve one problem by creating another.

Europe's new bottle caps remain attached after opening so they can be recycled together with the bottle.

Clearly a sustainability supporting innovation. So a good thing, right?

Unless you're trying to drink from the bottle.

Then the cap keeps getting frustratingly in the way.

Similarly, McDonald's redesigned its McFlurry cup with a ridged paper lining. It insulates better, keeping the ice cream cold and customers' hands warm.

But it also makes it impossible to scrape out the pockets of ice cream and topping stuck to the lining, leading to a sense of disappointment and waste.

Both innovations solved a real problem.

They also created a new one.

I often see companies celebrate the success of an innovation because it improved a targeted metric, such as lower waste or higher efficiency.

Meanwhile, customers quietly ask:

"Why did you make my experience worse?"

Innovations shouldn't simply shift or substitute a problem.

At their core, they must have a razor sharp focus on the customer experience, and make sure that it is unilaterally enhanced as the result.

Without any trade-offs.

#Innovation #CustomerExperience #Leadership