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2 stages of learning



Discovery                   Validation


        www.foundercentric.com
2 stages of learning



Ask                            Sell

      www.foundercentric.com
2 stages of learning



Observe               Experiment

       www.foundercentric.com
2 stages of learning



Learn                       Confirm

        www.foundercentric.com
One day...
A customer wakes up,
turns on their computer,
logs in to their email
using a new program
they use and love.

Their free trial is over.
The program asks them
to pay. They say no.

Why?

                            www.foundercentric.com
www.foundercentric.com   Image by wstryder
www.foundercentric.com   Image by wstryder
3 ways to horribly screw up
Customer Development




www.foundercentric.com
3 ways to horribly screw up
Customer Development


1. Use a script or survey




www.foundercentric.com
Customer Development
is a founder skill.




                 www.foundercentric.com
You don’t need meetings.
You just need contact.




             www.foundercentric.com
Always know your
         big 3 questions.




www.foundercentric.com
Leancamp
What awareness channels can we partner with?
What do people learn at Leancamp that they apply?
What do famous thought-leaders get out of conferences?




                    www.foundercentric.com
Important signals

Person   Job    Problem   Measure   Solution   Excited   Guilty   Upset




                          www.foundercentric.com
Hi.
How’s it going with .... ?

Interesting. Tell me more about that.




 www.foundercentric.com
3 ways to horribly screw up
Customer Development


1. Use a script or survey
2. Talk about your idea




www.foundercentric.com
Your customers
are full of shit!




                    www.foundercentric.com
Anyone will tell you that your
idea is great if you annoy
them long enough.



           www.foundercentric.com
Dear Mom,
                         Don’t you think
                         I’m great?
                         Love,
                         Your son

www.foundercentric.com
Actually, not just your mom lies.
People want to be helpful, so they tell you
what they think you want to hear.




                  www.foundercentric.com
The Mom Test

Talk about their life,                              Future-tense
not your idea                                       opinions are lies

Ask about specifics                                  You gain nothing
in the past                                         by convincing
                                                    them




                           www.foundercentric.com
Good or bad questions?



       www.foundercentric.com
❝ Do you think it’s
 a good idea?
                                 ❞
        www.foundercentric.com
❝ Do you think it’s
 a good idea?
                                 ❞
        www.foundercentric.com
❝ Would you buy a
  product which solved
  this problem?
                                   ❞
          www.foundercentric.com
❝ Would you buy a
  product which solved
  this problem?
                                   ❞
          www.foundercentric.com
❝
    How do you currently
    deal with this problem?
                                     ❞
            www.foundercentric.com
❝
    How do you currently
    deal with this problem?
                                     ❞
            www.foundercentric.com
❝ When does this
 problem pop up?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ When does this
 problem pop up?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ What makes this time-
  consuming or go off-
  track?
                                   ❞
          www.foundercentric.com
❝ What makes this time-
  consuming or go off-
  track?
                                   ❞
          www.foundercentric.com
❝ Has this ever been more
  time-consuming than
  normal or gone off-track?
                                    ❞
           www.foundercentric.com
Their words - not yours!
One phrase per card.
Pair. One interviewer, one notetaker.



Recording the
right stuff.


                             www.foundercentric.com
❝ Please show me
 how you...
                               ❞
      www.foundercentric.com
❝ Please show me
 how you...
                               ❞
      www.foundercentric.com
❝ Please tell me how...
  I’m trying to learn how
  you...
                                    ❞
           www.foundercentric.com
❝ Please tell me how...
  I’m trying to learn how
  you...
                                    ❞
           www.foundercentric.com
❝ Talk me through the last
  time you had this
  problem.
                                    ❞
           www.foundercentric.com
❝ Talk me through the last
  time you had this
  problem.
                                    ❞
           www.foundercentric.com
❝ What did you try
 to do about it?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ What did you try
 to do about it?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
Important signals

Person   Job    Problem   Measure   Solution   Excited   Guilty   Upset




                          www.foundercentric.com
❝ Please help me
 understand...
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ Please help me
 understand...
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ How much would
 you pay for this?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ How much would
 you pay for this?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝
    Can I ask why?
                                  ❞
         www.foundercentric.com
❝
    Can I ask why?
                                  ❞
         www.foundercentric.com
❝
    How much money does
    this problem cost you?
                                     ❞
            www.foundercentric.com
❝
    How much money does
    this problem cost you?
                                     ❞
            www.foundercentric.com
❝ How much should
 we charge?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ How much should
 we charge?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ What’s your
 budget?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ What’s your
 budget?
                                ❞
       www.foundercentric.com
❝ How soon can
 you start?
                               ❞
      www.foundercentric.com
❝ How soon can
 you start?
                               ❞
      www.foundercentric.com
3 ways to horribly screw up
Customer Development


1. Use a script or survey
2. Talk about your idea
3. Sell




www.foundercentric.com
2 stages of learning



Learn                       Confirm

        www.foundercentric.com
Be an apprentice.
  Not a salesperson.




www.foundercentric.com
Real stories.
Has there ever been a time ... ?
Tell me about the last time ... ?
What was great/bad about that?
Why did you do that?
What happened next?

 www.foundercentric.com
Deflect & apologise!
      www.foundercentric.com
4 ways to rock CustDev
Mom Test your questions to get real facts.
Be ready with softball, anchor & deflection questions.
Know the signal types you’ll spot & explore.
Record your customers’ phrases.




                            www.foundercentric.com
leanca.mp/rotterdam
€49 until tomorrow. March 28th. Go & learn!


Salim Virani @SaintSal smile@saintsal.com
www.foundercentric.com

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Practical Customer Development - Lean Startup Groningen

  • 1. 2 stages of learning Discovery Validation www.foundercentric.com
  • 2. 2 stages of learning Ask Sell www.foundercentric.com
  • 3. 2 stages of learning Observe Experiment www.foundercentric.com
  • 4. 2 stages of learning Learn Confirm www.foundercentric.com
  • 5. One day... A customer wakes up, turns on their computer, logs in to their email using a new program they use and love. Their free trial is over. The program asks them to pay. They say no. Why? www.foundercentric.com
  • 6. www.foundercentric.com Image by wstryder
  • 7. www.foundercentric.com Image by wstryder
  • 8. 3 ways to horribly screw up Customer Development www.foundercentric.com
  • 9. 3 ways to horribly screw up Customer Development 1. Use a script or survey www.foundercentric.com
  • 10. Customer Development is a founder skill. www.foundercentric.com
  • 11. You don’t need meetings. You just need contact. www.foundercentric.com
  • 12. Always know your big 3 questions. www.foundercentric.com
  • 13. Leancamp What awareness channels can we partner with? What do people learn at Leancamp that they apply? What do famous thought-leaders get out of conferences? www.foundercentric.com
  • 14. Important signals Person Job Problem Measure Solution Excited Guilty Upset www.foundercentric.com
  • 15. Hi. How’s it going with .... ? Interesting. Tell me more about that. www.foundercentric.com
  • 16. 3 ways to horribly screw up Customer Development 1. Use a script or survey 2. Talk about your idea www.foundercentric.com
  • 17. Your customers are full of shit! www.foundercentric.com
  • 18. Anyone will tell you that your idea is great if you annoy them long enough. www.foundercentric.com
  • 19. Dear Mom, Don’t you think I’m great? Love, Your son www.foundercentric.com
  • 20. Actually, not just your mom lies. People want to be helpful, so they tell you what they think you want to hear. www.foundercentric.com
  • 21. The Mom Test Talk about their life, Future-tense not your idea opinions are lies Ask about specifics You gain nothing in the past by convincing them www.foundercentric.com
  • 22. Good or bad questions? www.foundercentric.com
  • 23. ❝ Do you think it’s a good idea? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 24. ❝ Do you think it’s a good idea? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 25. ❝ Would you buy a product which solved this problem? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 26. ❝ Would you buy a product which solved this problem? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 27. How do you currently deal with this problem? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 28. How do you currently deal with this problem? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 29. ❝ When does this problem pop up? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 30. ❝ When does this problem pop up? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 31. ❝ What makes this time- consuming or go off- track? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 32. ❝ What makes this time- consuming or go off- track? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 33. ❝ Has this ever been more time-consuming than normal or gone off-track? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 34. Their words - not yours! One phrase per card. Pair. One interviewer, one notetaker. Recording the right stuff. www.foundercentric.com
  • 35. ❝ Please show me how you... ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 36. ❝ Please show me how you... ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 37. ❝ Please tell me how... I’m trying to learn how you... ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 38. ❝ Please tell me how... I’m trying to learn how you... ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 39. ❝ Talk me through the last time you had this problem. ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 40. ❝ Talk me through the last time you had this problem. ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 41. ❝ What did you try to do about it? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 42. ❝ What did you try to do about it? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 43. Important signals Person Job Problem Measure Solution Excited Guilty Upset www.foundercentric.com
  • 44. ❝ Please help me understand... ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 45. ❝ Please help me understand... ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 46. ❝ How much would you pay for this? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 47. ❝ How much would you pay for this? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 48. Can I ask why? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 49. Can I ask why? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 50. How much money does this problem cost you? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 51. How much money does this problem cost you? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 52. ❝ How much should we charge? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 53. ❝ How much should we charge? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 54. ❝ What’s your budget? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 55. ❝ What’s your budget? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 56. ❝ How soon can you start? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 57. ❝ How soon can you start? ❞ www.foundercentric.com
  • 58. 3 ways to horribly screw up Customer Development 1. Use a script or survey 2. Talk about your idea 3. Sell www.foundercentric.com
  • 59. 2 stages of learning Learn Confirm www.foundercentric.com
  • 60. Be an apprentice. Not a salesperson. www.foundercentric.com
  • 61. Real stories. Has there ever been a time ... ? Tell me about the last time ... ? What was great/bad about that? Why did you do that? What happened next? www.foundercentric.com
  • 62. Deflect & apologise! www.foundercentric.com
  • 63. 4 ways to rock CustDev Mom Test your questions to get real facts. Be ready with softball, anchor & deflection questions. Know the signal types you’ll spot & explore. Record your customers’ phrases. www.foundercentric.com
  • 64. leanca.mp/rotterdam €49 until tomorrow. March 28th. Go & learn! Salim Virani @SaintSal smile@saintsal.com www.foundercentric.com