I absolutely agree! Most marketing and many product organizations take an inside-out view versus the much more powerful and way more relevant outside-in perspective you're advocating for. Customers in complex industries need people who can help them make sense of their issues in as smart and simple a way as possible. The only way to become that trusted guide is to sit in the customer's shoes as you suggest.

Thanks for sharing. Good thoughts. Tom

All great points that are essential for the change agenda and bold thinking you talk about.

I'd add another – which is a deep understanding of the impact of your product/service on the market. My personal experience is in enterprise software, so my comments come from that perspective.

Too many (way too many) marketing people don't know enough about their products or their customers. As a consequence their approach to mariketing is often "soft", and incremental, rather than deep, impactful and game-changing. The result is failure to connect with and energize the target market.

I think you are on to something – power to you!