Approaching Co-Creation with Purpose

Co-creation. It’s a concept that’s been hyped to death before most companies have even figured out how to do it properly. It gets talked about frequently—the workshops, the crowdsourced ideas, the promise of customer-led innovation—but let’s be honest: co-creation remains more of a buzzword than a bona fide business practice. For many product managers, it’s an abstract ideal rather than a tool that delivers results.

Of course, co-creation can work—but only when it’s approached with intention and structure. The idea is not to open the doors to every customer with an opinion. Rather, it involves engaging the right people in the right way. And at the heart of this approach are your Catalytic Customers—those deeply invested users who can help shape your product’s future.

Let’s start with some basic best practices:

1. Start Small and Focused

The biggest mistake companies make with co-creation is trying to do too much, too fast. Instead of launching a massive initiative with hundreds of participants, start small. Identify a specific problem or opportunity and invite a carefully selected group of customers to collaborate with you.

2. Provide Structure

Co-creation isn’t a free-for-all brainstorming session. It requires structure and guidance. Make sure your participants understand the goals, the boundaries, and the process. Use clear prompts, frameworks, and tools to keep the conversation productive.

3. Ensure Mutual Value

Your customers need to see the value in participating. Whether it’s early access to new features, recognition within your community, or the satisfaction of seeing their ideas come to life, make sure your co-creation partners feel rewarded for their efforts.

4. Follow Through

There’s nothing more demotivating than seeing your feedback disappear into a black hole. Be transparent about how customer input will be used, and follow up to show how it has influenced your product decisions.

Your Co-Creators Matter As Well

And then, of course, there’s the matter of who you are actually co-creating with. Not surprisingly, here’s where recommend focusing on Catalytic Customers.

A Catalytic Customer isn’t just a fan or an early adopter. They’re not necessarily the loudest voices in your user forums or social media feeds. They’re the ones who:

• Engage deeply with your product category: They’re power users, hobbyists, or professionals who understand the nuances of your space better than most.

• Have a forward-looking mindset: They’re not stuck on what your product is today; they’re thinking about what it could be tomorrow.

• Provide critical but constructive feedback: They’re not just complainers. They’re solution-oriented and want to see your product improve.

These customers can become invaluable partners in your product development process—if you know how to engage them.

How to Co-Create with Catalytic Customers

1. Identify Them

Don’t rely solely on broad customer surveys or NPS scores. Instead, look for behavior-based signals and think beyond your current customer base. The best Catalytic Customers aren’t always the ones already using your product—they could be experts or enthusiasts in your broader category who haven’t discovered your brand yet.

• Inside your customer base: Look for your most active users. Who submits the most detailed feedback? Who consistently finds creative ways to use your product?

• Outside your customer base: Scan industry forums, niche communities, and social media groups where passionate users gather to discuss your product category. Who are the thought leaders? Who is pushing for innovation in your space?

• Through partnerships: Collaborate with influencers, educators, or other businesses that intersect with your market. They might know individuals with the expertise and enthusiasm to become Catalytic Customers.

Use these signals to narrow down a small group of highly engaged individuals—whether they’re already customers or potential future ones. These are the people you want to involve in your co-creation efforts.

2. Engage Them with Purpose

Once you’ve identified your Catalytic Customers, don’t just invite them to a generic feedback session. Give them a meaningful role in your product development process. Ask them to:

• Test early prototypes and share detailed feedback

• Participate in problem-solving workshops

• Co-develop use cases for new features

Make it clear that their input will directly influence your product roadmap—and then follow through on that promise.

3. Focus on the Future

Too many co-creation efforts get bogged down in fixing current issues. That’s not what co-creation is for. Your Catalytic Customers should be helping you envision the future. Ask them:

• What’s missing from this category?

• What emerging needs do you see?

• What would make this product indispensable?

This forward-looking focus will help you stay ahead of the curve and build products that truly meet evolving customer needs.

The Bottom Line: Co-Creation Needs to Be Intentional

Co-creation isn’t a numbers game. It’s not about casting a wide net and hoping for a great idea to float to the top. Instead, be intentional. Find the right customers and create structured opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully.

At CoinJar Insights, we’ve seen firsthand how engaging Catalytic Customers can lead to game-changing innovations. If you want to move beyond lip service and make co-creation a core part of your product strategy, it’s time to focus on quality over quantity.

Stop paying lip-service. Start engaging your Catalytic Customers. The future of your product depends on it.