The Real Reason Snapchat’s Spectacles Can Fare Better Than Google Glass

By: Dave Farber

As Google Glass fades to distant memory, yet another alliterative wearable is trying to turn our faces into cameras. Why? Even Google — a company that we trust to develop self-driving cars and deliver burritos by drones — was heavily maligned for daring to add a camera to our glasses. 

Advertising on the Spectacles webpage

While even Snapchat is being cautiously optimistic about the potential of its Spectacles, there are indicators that the company may be able to pull off what Google could not. Assuming the organization stays faithful to what has made it successful so far in helping its target users satisfy important jobs that they’re struggling to get done, it seems plausible that early sales numbers will be promising. And if Spectacles do take off, Snapchat will have given itself a very interesting platform for expanding beyond just its app.
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Dave Farber is a strategy and innovation consultant at New Markets Advisors. He helps companies understand customer needs, build innovation capabilities, and develop plans for growth. He is a co-author of the award-winning book Jobs to be Done: A Roadmap for Customer-Centered Innovation.