Customer discovery in neurointervention: a practical primer for identifying unmet needs.

Abstract

Advancement in neurointervention is frequently driven by the introduction of new technology and devices that improve procedural efficacy and patient outcomes. For physician-innovators, customer discovery-or the process of directly engaging with end users to explore workflows and associated challenges-offers a structured way to identify meaningful problems and guide early innovation. This primer aims to outline stepwise guidance for conducting customer discovery within neurointervention to characterize key areas of unmet need. We detail stepwise guidance for conducting customer discovery founded on foundational business literature. To illustrate this process, we conducted five interviews with expert neurointerventionalists engaged in clinical innovation. Interview transcripts were reviewed and analyzed to track emerging themes, and responses were synthesized into a neurointerventionalist customer profile. Responses from interviewed neurointerventionalists suggested that safer vascular access, tools to support treatment prognostication, and condition-specific device design are unmet areas of need. Moreover, interviews revealed broader concerns about stagnation in device innovation and barriers within regulatory and institutional pathways. Structured customer discovery identifies unmet needs that may be overlooked when device development is solely driven by technical breakthroughs or published outcomes. By outlining an actionable framework for customer discovery in neurointervention, we provide a practical model for aligning future innovation with real-world clinical challenges.