entreProf says:  Why does empathy matter? The market is flooded with products that hope to respond to consumers’ ever-changing needs. Some entrepreneurs begin with shiny new technology looking for a market, but ultimately it is the consumer who makes the final judgement as to whether a product is successful or not.43 Research shows that customer co-creation or co-production (achieved through empathy) has a positive effect on the outcome of new production development because it results in a better fit to a customer’s preferences. That’s why letting customers define the critical design criteria has become so important in the innovation process.

Design Thinking and the Power of Empathy.