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CGeneralUpdated 2 Nov 2026

Co-creation

Collaborative process where customers help design products or services.

Definition

Co-creation is the collaborative process where customers help design products or services. Founders reach for it when a vague conversation needs a shared, specific meaning. Name it clearly, then let the next decision — a hire, a price, a test, or a pass — follow from that meaning.

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In the room

How the word shows up in a real conversation.

In a Monday review, someone writes Co-creation on the board and restates it: “Collaborative process where customers help design products or services.” The next move is a test, a cut, or a double-down — not another debate about the word.

Common mistake

Using Co-creation as a label instead of a fact. If you cannot point to the evidence — a number, a customer, or a written assumption — you are using the word as jargon.

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