Something that has been philosophized in business for a long time is whether or not you should take into consideration and ask what the customer wants. This is not to be confused with disregarding the problem a product is solving. You can still solve a problem and not ask what the customer wants.
As I’ve studied various forms of entrepreneurship and business, one thing that has arisen as a common theme is that you should ask the customer for their opinion and iterate accordingly. This is a seemingly “safe” way to start a business. If you take a look at Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 9, they have given their customers precisely what they asked for in a phone. More storage, better battery life, enhanced processing system, and a better camera. The only problem with this is that you’re not introducing anything new or innovative. Don’t get me wrong all those things are great but marginally improving existing technology isn’t any incredible groundbreaking news. Same applies to Apple ever since they lost Steve.
On the other hand, if you disregard what people are asking for and deliver something that doesn’t appeal to the consumer or doesn’t accomplish the desired goal then you might be looking at bankruptcy or a big failure. As long as you have a right eye for design and are solving a problem differently, then the downside to this method shouldn’t be a huge issue.
The upside to not asking what the customer wants is that now you’re an innovator, have created something entirely different, and potentially new. (Also, just because your an entrepreneur doesn’t mean that you’re an innovator.) Henry Ford said, “If I had asked what people had wanted they would have said faster horses.” People are predictable, and consumers want bigger and better. The question is can you rethink and deliver something different and new. Henry Ford tried it and looked what he did. He only invented the Model T. You can only do that something like that by disregarding the asks of the customers. Plenty of companies will always choose the safer route of improvement regarding “bigger and better.”
“People don’t know what they want” is an iconic line from various entrepreneurs. I would prefer “People don’t realize what they could have” because consumers will always think they know what they want but rarely do they know the possibilities of what is possible to have. In these market conditions, if you’re going to be noticed, you must be different.
To answer the question, sure. If you would like to be potentially safe, unoriginal, and controlled, then ask and implement what customers want. I think we should always be questioning what the problem and mission of our products and companies are to inspire new things. Ask if what you are doing is different or what the customer expects. Henry Ford did.