We've heard a lot about the "wisdom of crowds", mostly in relation to Internet sites that let their readers make key decisions.

Is this a good thing? Won't there always be lapses in judgment both individually and collectively.

Let's not forget that 45 people were wounded - four of them gored - during the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain recently.

So much for the absolute wisdom of crowds.

But what about the idea that a group makes better decisions than an individual?

Focus groups used to be der rigour but have fallen from favour.

Now it's open slather for some with the internet businesses allowing people to do what they will with what's on offer. But at what point and at what level do you hand over your product design to your customer?

Dell compouters do this to a certain extent with their self build options, around a core group of components

A shoe business plan based around just one shoe

Rob Langstaff, is a bloke who is putting time, energy and $$ into shoe startup Ryz, saying there is too great a disconnect between businesses and consumers.

"Internal processes of businesses can be set up to prevent you from spending a lot of time with consumers," he said, and contact that does occur is almost always at the beginning of a product launch. In the shoe industry, it's often a 12-month process, from concept to shelf, he said.

His Web site, www.ryzwear.com, has only one shoe, for which people can create designs.

It sounds very much like a new spin on what was said of the original Henry Ford vehicle ...  "You can have it in any color you want, as long as it is black."

Threadless is also onto the concept

The Threadless T-shirt company got to the customer driven process by accident.

What's weird is that it's sort of like the running of the bulls in that what is popular is sometimes grotesque and not to the owners liking. One of the most popular T-shirt designs at Threadless is called "Flowers in the Attic." It shows a woman who has shot herself in the head, from which are flying butterflies. Not my cup of tea.

The challenge here is ...

• What if you handed over the design of your products or services to your cleints or customers?
• What would they say or do with what is your most precious offering?
• Could you handle it?
• Is there some middle ground that you could discover if you follow the Dell Computer?

What could your business learn from its customers if you just asked questions like ...

• What solution were you seeking when you hired us?
• What did/do we provide that you value the most?
• What has been the result of working with us?
• What would you tell us to stop or start doing that would make a difference to you?