What is it?
I’ve previously written about making products “approachable.” The ukulele is my favorite approachable product: it’s recognizable, it’s safe, and it’s direct. As a “culture product,” the uke instantly fits in with your crowd - it’s like the funny guy who shows up at the party. Even if you don’t want to hang out with him for an extended period, he’s fun to have around.
So what do we make of products that seem to be the opposite of approachable? Check out Wolf King’s “Warrior Xxtreme” keyboard. Wolf King makes keyboards for gamers, and this is a double keyboard: each pad is full QWERTY.
Is it worth relearning how to type in order to gain whatever gaming advantage a round keyboard is supposed to supply? I don’t think so - but this keyboard is not for me. I’m not a member of the gaming culture, and what I think doesn’t matter.
To me, that’s the most interesting thing about product marketing. We can’t sell every product to everyone, and if we want to sell anything at all, we’d better understand why anyone would want to buy it. It’s not a matter of building features and waiting for people to come and buy; we must get inside their heads and know how they think.
Given that Wolf King’s business appears to be good, this round keyboard thing clearly appeals to the right people. They must be interesting.
