My wife and I are expecting our first child in November. As we counted down the nine months, among the typical pregnancy pleasantries with family, friends, and strangers, we were often asked if we were getting a minivan. But the question is inextricably packaged with a light-hearted condolence and a tinge of pity. I usually cannot muster up the courage to interrupt their well-intentioned compassion with the fact that I kind of like minivans. So I accept their compassion but note that these are social quirks that I need to investigate because there is an interesting blog post in there somewhere. Now, eight and a half months later, I’m here to say that the minivan market is proof that user preference is not the same thing as user experience.

The users find great value in minivans and are willing to pay for it despite their gripes about its asexual design and the “oppressively” suburban image that comes with it. The minivan is a $17 billion dollar sector based on September 2017 year-to-date (YTD) estimates. Moreover, these vehicles are not cheap. The average cost of a minivan is about $33K and Fiat Chrysler rolled out a $50K version of their Pacifica Model this year. The market is willing to compromise on design and image for the minivan's utility and versatility.

Here’s why the Minivan’s utility and versatility are undeniable. The sliding doors let you load up the car from the tightest of parking spots. This is important for parents who would prefer not to have their young children wait out on the street while they move the car to open the door. The minivan's cavernous interior can easily fit three rows of full-sized seats and moonlight as a cargo van with a pull of a lever. Its engine is surprisingly powerful, able to safely transport passengers and heavy cargo through all types of weather conditions. You can also equip it with a home entertainment system to keep your restless passengers at bay; It’s basically your living room on wheels. I recently saw a commercial with Jim Gaffigan where he opened the automatic sliding doors by waving his foot. That is magic and the guy or gal who came up with that feature is a magician. With this laundry list of value-add features, you may have forgotten that it still looks like this:

And the image it projects is this:

If you deal in product design and development in any capacity, the existence of the Minivan sector is a tremendously valuable reminder that there is a difference between users' wants and needs. The gap between preference and need is the arbitrage for product success, sustainable success. This lesson seems simple but it’s a scary proposition and thus hard to apply. Trying to capitalize on the arbitrage may require you to be a contrarian that goes against the demand of the majority, the “stable" revenue, the safe bet, the more peaceful option. It calls for a response to the market and not a reaction. It demands a more holistic understanding of the individuals that make up the marketplace and not a sound-bite of the average.