Hacking Customer Development for DC Lean Startup

Hacking #CustDev DC Lean Startup Circle Feb 21, 2012

Patrick Vlaskovits @pv hello@custdev.com vlaskovits.com

About Patrick - @pv

The vast majority of startups fail NOT because they couldn’t build a great product/technology,

but because no one wanted the product.

One of Steve Blank’s Big Ideas

Lean Startup Big Idea #1

How many cycles through the B-M-L loop, not time. Eric Ries’ Big Idea

Lean Startup Big Idea #2

“Not only are the market applications for disruptive technologies unknown at the time of

their development, they are unknowable.” -Clayton Christensen, The Innovator’s Dilemma

Lean Startup Big Idea #3

Developing Customers & Your Product

Customer Development

How to do it: Lean Startup Meta-Rules & Framework

1) Question and Test Your Assumptions

1a) Record them too! 2) “Get Out of the Building”

3) Do it again based on what you learned. (Iterate)

BUZZWORD ALERT!

Minimum Viable Product

The Classic Smoke Test/MVP from 1975

Sophisticated Variants of the ‘Smoke Test’

Traffic MVT/Landing Page Conversion

Learning about customers is a lot like fishing…

Source/Referral/Channel Messaging/Positioning Pricing/CAC Conversion Rate

Screenshots + LOI

“Ghetto Testing”

Off-Brand Apps & Sites

Browser Extension + Facebook

[Your competition] SUCKS!

Place online ads that say “[*insert your competition here] sucks” that drive users of a competitive product to a landing page for lead generation for CustDev interviews.

PRO-TIP: Do UX review on their products. Source: In Witness Protection Program

The Magic Wand

Ask the subject of your CustDev interview, “If you could wave a magic wand, what would you be able to do?”

Source: Cindy Alvarez http://www.slideshare.net/cindyalvarez/kissinsi

ghts-customer-development-tactics

The Magic Word

Ask the subject of your CustDev interview for “advice” and don’t sell.

Price testing without charging

Confuse to Clarify

Willfully mis-characterize a interviewee’s opinion to elicit further response in order to keep them talking and ensure you understand their position.

Source: Sachin Agarwal

“Phone Support”

Upon sign-up for your application, ask if the user wants free phone support. If they affirm, prompt them for phone number and name.

Source: Dan Martell

Best Practices: Concierge/“Manual”-ation

Kickstarter

Now, what you got for me?

Original Post on CustDev Hacks here: http://vlskvts.co/hhqEB7

Outside of Tech Startups

Why do you think it takes 6-8 weeks to get your !@$&&^$@! snuggie?

Restaurants?

At the end of this preso…

Let’s try to avoid building things nobody actually wants.

If you take nothing away from this preso – take at least this away

PDF http://CustDev.com

Available on Amazon as Paperback & Kindle

Reach out & say hello@CustDev.com @pv