Succeeding at product development involves more than avoiding failure

While product development is important in many companies, it is often approached in a constrained way. There are two main reasons for this. First, product development options are frequently viewed very narrowly; second, for personal reasons, many managers seek to avoid mistakes with new products rather than using them as a means for exploiting market potentials to the full. A schema is advanced for widening the role of product development and suggestions are made on how product development thrusts can be sharpened.