CUSTOMER DISCOVERYTHE BASICS THAT GET YOU GOING

Based on ‘The Customer Discovery’ video series by Steve Blank

WHAT TO TEST?First the problem, then the solution

Hypotheses about:

• Customer archetype (detailed)• What could be a good MVP?• What are the needs?• Insights in the BMC blocks

Tons of interactions, fast-paced

DEATH BY POWERPOINT / DEMOPowerpoint / demo:

• You talk, customer listens

• No information gathering

• Not 100%-fit time loss for customer

• Time-intensive

DEATH BY POWERPOINT / DEMOInstead:

• You listen, customer talks

• Gather lots of information

Flexible subjects (but prepare!)

Can be short

Customer archetype insights

DEATH BY POWERPOINT / DEMODemo / MVP / project description possible:

• In customer VALIDATION phase

• On customer request

• More feedback about product• No ‘sell’-alarm triggered

TYPES OF QUESTIONSDid I understand correctly that …

Would something like X help you with Y?

What question should I have asked you?

Open-ended

Walkthroughs / descriptions

Try not to bias

PRODUCT – MARKET FIT= holy grail!

Dilating pupils

Changing attitude

Breathing

Intonation

Is this for sale? Can we use this already?

WAW, that would be great and help us a lot!

MULTIPLE PEOPLE INTERVIEWINGDecide the roles! Prepare!

Who is going to write?

Who is going to ask questions?

What is our goal?

Don’t interrupt!

Ask for extra input

Decide on signs

PUBLIC INTERVIEWSStudent doing research for school works!

50% chance of success

1 – 2 questions / 3 minutes

May last longer, but don’t overstay!

Lots of short conversations

CUSTOMER EMPATHYEmpathize with the customer

Understand your customer

Don’t act like a know-it-all

• more insights

• better understandings

• respect from customer more opportunities

THE OTHER 85%Why are they different?

Why are there any outliers?

Other needs? Other business opportunities?

Spend equal amount on buy-in as buy-out

15%

UNDERSTAND THE SALES PROCESSWho is your user? Your buyer? Your saboteur? Your recommender?

B2B often complex sales process

Impacts business viability!

EXISTING VS NEW MARKETS

EXISTING MARKET

Customers know what they need

Competitors / alternatives

Comparison possible

Feature requests / improvements

NEW MARKET

More difficult customer discovery process

More focus on customer archetype than product

Deep knowledge of customer behavior needed

‘Day in the life’ and walkthroughs

THE INTERVIEW

Pre-planning Interview Analysis

& insights

PRE-PLANNINGCreate a list of 100 names in your customer segment

Aim for middle management

No surveys! Only face-to-face, Skype, Hangout or calls

Be ‘aggressive’

PRE-PLANNINGMake appointment:

Call after 5 PM (no secretary)

‘Since you know this sector the best, we would like some feedback from you’

Ask 20 minutes, get 30

Stress their importance to you

Namedropping (if VC / incubator)

Informal location

PRE-PLANNINGPreparation:

Do dry-runs

Design pass / fail tests

Think about open-ended questions

THE ACTUAL INTERVIEWIntroduce yourself

Set the expectations right (learning, no selling)

Stress that they are important to you

Let conversation flow

Take picture of company / person

THE ACTUAL INTERVIEWKeep a relaxed tone

No business card

Record the interview (ask first)

Take notes

Listen and enjoy

BACK IN THE BUILDINGWhat is the meaning of this data?

Did the hypothesis fail / succeeded?

Communicate the learnings!

• Write a blog / report• Talk to the team (narrative)• Be open to ideas from within• Keep communicating

WHEN ARE YOU DONE?You see a pattern

It becomes predictable

You keep hearing the same thing

Hypothesis failed? => Pivot

Hypothesis succeeded? => Move to next hypothesis

Product-market fit? => Move to customer validation

PIVOTINGNot everything requires a pivot

Don’t pivot too quickly

Think about it for 72 hours

Start the process all over again (but keep the learnings)