Social Product Development is something that you most likely have never heard of. But a few years ago Ben Kaufman thought of this great idea of creating a community for bringing together inventors, designers, and creators. And he did this by creating Quirky.com, a place were people can share ideas and have different people contribute to making them happen. If you product is something that seems to be getting lots of attention and is voted as being a good idea, then the company works with you to make it happen. This is something that is very new and has so much potential.
I thought that this would be a great second post to this blog because it really shows you how the idea of social media has really opened up new business markets. The thought of sharing your “great idea” with someone you do not know is not something most people would jump right into. However Quirky has created a strong business model that protects its member and there ideas. Of course the company has also found a way like most online companies to make money. They do it like most up and coming companies do, they avoid upfront charges. This is because they realize that the people that are using the site are the true assets to the company and without them the whole idea would fail. I am sure that there are some other great companies out there that are using this kind of business plan and I would love to hear from you guys. Let me know what you guys think about this great idea, and some other ways it could be used?  |
| Ben Kaufman, age 24, CEO/Founder of Quirky |
