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Product development is not so different to Formula One racing
Product Development and Formula One: same, but different
As Lewis Hamilton races round the track, winning yet again for Mercedes, it’s clear he’s one of the best – if not the best – F1 racing drivers there’s ever been. But does the win belong only to him?
He’s not involved in the design or build of his car; when he makes a pit stop, he doesn’t hop out to change the tyres and attend to mechanical repairs or adjustments; he doesn’t negotiate sponsorship deals to ensure the team is fully financed.
F1 isn’t about one person. It’s about a team.
Product development
In a way, product development is the same. There are so many different elements involved in the product development cycle: the client, the design engineer, the prototyping company, the marketing department, the manufacturing partner, and so on.
It’s the multi-agency team that is involved at different stages of the cycle that gets the car (back to our F1 analogy!) around the track, corner by corner, lap by lap. If the racing track is the development cycle, then the project team of individuals, often from a range of different companies, who form the Mercedes team. Together, they must navigate the track to win the race and get the product to market. Every element of the team is vital.
When considered in this way, it becomes clear that the slightest bump in the road can have serious consequences for the success of the project. But bumps can be ironed out, or navigated around, to reach the finish line and, ultimately, take pole position.
Don’t worry, we’re also not naïve. When anyone watches an F1 race, they’re likely to be cheering ‘Come on, Hamilton!’, not ‘Way to go, Mercedes!’ But you know as well as we do, that ‘Hamilton’s win’ belongs to the whole team.
Ready to start your journey around the product development cycle?
We’re ready to take the baton, before passing it on, when the time comes. Talk to us about your next prototype project, or request a quote below.