Lead user
Von Hippel defined lead users as people who are either “at the leading edge of an important market trend(s), and so are currently experiencing needs that will later be experienced by many users in that market” or “anticipate relatively high benefits from obtaining a solution to their needs, and so may innovate” (Von Hippel 2005 in [1] ). A company or organisation may then invite such lead users to contribute to the development of improved or new applications, products or services [2]. Examples of involving lead users are found in the design of outdoor or extreme sports equipment, where people have interests in improving or developing new equipment, as well as in the software industry (e.g., open-source software development, user-generated content or crowd sourcing) [2].
