The second step in CustDev is Customer validation
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 3:55 am
Why do you need to alternate closed and open questions? Because the former give the interlocutor a rest before the latter. You have prepared an alternative for him in advance, and he is simply deciding what his soul is more inclined to. However, closed questions should not be constructed in such a way that a person should only answer yes/no - even here you need to make him think and choose from more complex options. By the way, if necessary, you can always complicate the alternative by additionally asking: "Why?"
Questions that make the interlocutor talk about the future are frankly bad. You don't need this at all, on the contrary, CustDev needs his past experience, because it is the existing (and former) problems and pains that you are going to solve with the help of the new development.
And one more thing: don’t be self employed database afraid to clarify, especially on key issues. Remember: God is in the details! Also, don’t avoid a voice recorder. This valuable device will later help you to highlight the essential points of the interview, and not only for you, but also for your colleagues (if you need to replace the researcher).
Now about some “don’ts”:
Don't try to argue with your interlocutor. Under no circumstances, even if he calls black white. Just make a note of his inadequacy on this issue, but be sure to indicate the reason for the unflattering judgment, so that you can evaluate yourself later. Remember, your task is not to convince your interlocutor (this is impossible), but to find out his needs on the topic of your project.
Don't hide the real reason for the interview. You won't get any results if you start deceiving the respondent.
There is no need to prove that your product will be the best. Let him speak for himself about what will be most necessary for him - show miracles of diplomacy.
The second step in CustDev is Customer validation
Sequence of actions:
Creating a product version with minimal functionality that will nevertheless solve targeted consumer problems.
Collection of comments and remarks.
Creation of a more advanced version of the new product (version 2.0), which has more advanced functionality.
New collection of comments and feedback from potential clients.
Development of the final product.
The results of researchers from CB Insights show that of all startups that fail, 42% are faced with banal irrelevance; in 18% of cases, there is an unreasonable pricing policy and 14% of developers ignored finding out the true needs of potential consumers, but relied on their own ideas about this (usually on their own complexes).
Customer validation is the phase of customer development technology where the data obtained from the previous stage is checked. And you are checking, mainly, yourself. Do you correctly understand the true aspirations of your consumers? Are you positioning your product correctly?
Customer validation
This phase is very closely related to the concept of “lean startup” (the “Lean Startup” customer development method), which Eric Ries put forward in 2008. It includes:
experiments with hypotheses;
checking the correctness of iterations after each CustDev phase;
training that will be conducted based on the inspection carried out.
Customer validation is a kind of middle ground between a pure idea and its physical embodiment in the form of a trial batch. In the case of CustValid, we already have a prototype, on the basis of which we can ask respondents other, more specific questions, but at the same time we are not yet investing in production - we profess a lean approach.
Questions that make the interlocutor talk about the future are frankly bad. You don't need this at all, on the contrary, CustDev needs his past experience, because it is the existing (and former) problems and pains that you are going to solve with the help of the new development.
And one more thing: don’t be self employed database afraid to clarify, especially on key issues. Remember: God is in the details! Also, don’t avoid a voice recorder. This valuable device will later help you to highlight the essential points of the interview, and not only for you, but also for your colleagues (if you need to replace the researcher).
Now about some “don’ts”:
Don't try to argue with your interlocutor. Under no circumstances, even if he calls black white. Just make a note of his inadequacy on this issue, but be sure to indicate the reason for the unflattering judgment, so that you can evaluate yourself later. Remember, your task is not to convince your interlocutor (this is impossible), but to find out his needs on the topic of your project.
Don't hide the real reason for the interview. You won't get any results if you start deceiving the respondent.
There is no need to prove that your product will be the best. Let him speak for himself about what will be most necessary for him - show miracles of diplomacy.
The second step in CustDev is Customer validation
Sequence of actions:
Creating a product version with minimal functionality that will nevertheless solve targeted consumer problems.
Collection of comments and remarks.
Creation of a more advanced version of the new product (version 2.0), which has more advanced functionality.
New collection of comments and feedback from potential clients.
Development of the final product.
The results of researchers from CB Insights show that of all startups that fail, 42% are faced with banal irrelevance; in 18% of cases, there is an unreasonable pricing policy and 14% of developers ignored finding out the true needs of potential consumers, but relied on their own ideas about this (usually on their own complexes).
Customer validation is the phase of customer development technology where the data obtained from the previous stage is checked. And you are checking, mainly, yourself. Do you correctly understand the true aspirations of your consumers? Are you positioning your product correctly?
Customer validation
This phase is very closely related to the concept of “lean startup” (the “Lean Startup” customer development method), which Eric Ries put forward in 2008. It includes:
experiments with hypotheses;
checking the correctness of iterations after each CustDev phase;
training that will be conducted based on the inspection carried out.
Customer validation is a kind of middle ground between a pure idea and its physical embodiment in the form of a trial batch. In the case of CustValid, we already have a prototype, on the basis of which we can ask respondents other, more specific questions, but at the same time we are not yet investing in production - we profess a lean approach.