More and more startups are trying to sell their innovative products with the adjective “smart.”
We have become accustomed to smart thermostats, smart lights, and apparently now even smart trashcans in our home.
My problem with this trend is twofold:
- If everything is smart these days, how does your product differentiate?
- No one intends to make a “dumb” product. Customers will assume your product is advanced, let alone smart.
I don’t think I even like the word “smart” for products. Is my smartphone truly smart, or does it just house a bunch of functionality that a smart user can leverage? In comparison to others, it is now only “just a phone.”
So think about what makes your product better. I’m sure it’s smart, but what ELSE is it? Since there’s no more value in being smart, solve a unique problem and emphasize that in a single adjective.