Rule 1 from Rocket: Don’t ask your customers what they want

Completely understand the customer by seeking an intense and empathetic understanding. Learn about your customers’ needs and dissatisfactions; lay out your testable options to convert customers to apostles. Define a winning proposition and understand the economics to drive a value proposition that delivers a high margin. Take an expansive view of consumers’ needs and be willing to take risks to fulfill those needs. Deliver growth by having customers who love to talk about you, exclaim you, and tell their friends and colleagues about you.

Rocket is the latest book from The Boston Consulting Group. The book, by Michael Silverstein, Dylan Bolden, Rune Jacobsen, and Rohan Sajdeh, is a how-to guide to growth for businesses and brands. It is centered on the importance of cultivating "apostle" customers, creating stunning experiences to inspire loyalty, and fostering authentic relationships with customers to build a brand that transcends time.