Lean Customer Development

Lean Customer Developmentbuilding products that customers will buy

Harikrishna Menon • 08.13.2017

Steps

1. Form a hypothesis2. Finding potential

customers3. Asking the right questions4. Making sense of the

answers5. Build & => keep learning6. Repeat as needed

Forming HypothesisI believe [type of person]

experiences [problem]while performing [task]

● Problem vs Solution● Problem, not

product● Testable● Narrower is better

Finding customersBlood, sweat and tears

● Your network● LinkedIn● Reddit● Facebook● Twitter● Quora● Domain-specific websites● “real world” locations● Craigslist ?● …….

Finding customersoutsourcing

● User research platforms○ Validately○ UserZoom○ ethn.io

● Mechanical Turk● Affiliate programs, leverage

partnerships● …….

What are the right questions?

● Potential of current process or solution?

● Frustrations/Pain Points● Dealbreakers and

constraints● Decision process for

buying

The InterviewQuestions to ask

Tell me how you do _{ job to be done }_ today…

Do you use any tools/processes to help you get _{ job to be done }_ done?

What are your biggest pain points around getting _{ job to be done }_ done?

If you could use a magic wand and be able to do anything that you can’t do today, what would it be? P.S - It's okay for them to go wild

Making them talk

1. A minute of awkward silence

2. No binary questions, always open ended

3. Digging deep: - What / When / How / Why etc...

Questions!!!

● Length● Compensation ● In-person or phone● Record● Who else?● When to stop

Making sense of responses

● Validates hypotheses● Invalidates hypotheses● Surprises (Pivots or new

hypotheses)● Emotion (rats vs dents)● Behavior changes

Resources

Lean Customer Development

95 ways to find your customers

Q&A