The document discusses customer development and validation techniques for startups. It emphasizes the importance of getting out of the building to validate ideas with customers from the beginning. It recommends asking questions to determine who the product is for, why they would care, what problems it solves, and how the features fit together. Customer interviews are presented as a way to gather this information and test hypotheses. The document provides tips for conducting interviews and debriefing afterwards to determine if the hypotheses were validated or invalidated. The overall message is that startups should focus on customer development and validation activities like interviews and prototyping before investing significant resources into building products.

1. From cold-sweat questions
to hot validated learning
{or, Customer Development
= awesome}
MONDAY, NOV 25, 2013
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

2. TWEET!
@katerutter
@luxrco
Kate Rutter
Co-Founder
www.luxr.co
Luxr makes tools to help startups
deliver products that people want,
need & love to buy.
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

3. What to expect...
I am not an expert on your business.
You are.
My goal is to help you explore
what ideas solve real
problems for humans...
so you can validate them and
move them forward.
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

4. Recognizing Startup Failure
“But the code validated!”
“The design was brilliant.
It just never launched.”
“We made an amazing thing.
But nobody wanted it.”
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

5. L
I
A
F
Recognizing Startup Failure
“But the code validated!”
“The design was brilliant.
It just never launched.”
“We made an amazing thing.
But nobody wanted it.”
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

6. e
t
s
a
Recognizing Startup Failure
“But the code validated!”
w
“The design was brilliant.
It just never launched.”
“We made an amazing thing.
But nobody wanted it.”
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

7. New approaches
Lean Startup
Agile & UX
Customer Development
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

8. Get out
of the
building!
The big idea...
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

9. Get out
of the
building!
The big idea...
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

10. so...
I have a
product.
How do I
know it
doesn’t suck?
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

11. cold-sweat questions
will
Who
this?
use
an it do
What c le will
at peop
th
ay for?
p
How does
everything
fit together?
Why
care will the
?
y
es
ur
at
fe
at st
h o
W m
t?
e
ar ortan
p
im
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

12. cold-sweat questions
will
Who
this?
use
an it do
What c le will
at peop
th
ay for?
p
How does
everything
fit together?
Why
care will the
?
y
es
ur
at
fe
at st
h o
W m
t?
e
ar ortan
p
im
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

13. with a bit of tweaking...
will
Who
this?
use
an it do
What c le will
at peop
th
ay for?
p
How does
everything
fit together?
Why
care will the
?
y
es
ur
at
t fe t
ha os
W m
re rtant?
a o
p
im
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

14. with a bit of tweaking...
Who is it for?
Why does it matter
to them?
What can they do that
they couldnʼt do before?
What features do they
need to do that?
How do those limited
features fit together?
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

15. Questions == Stack
Who is it for?
users
Why does it matter
to them?
needs &
goals
What can they do that
they couldnʼt do before?
uses
What features do they
need to do that?
features
How do those limited
features fit together?
product,
brand & voice
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

16. Questions == Stack
Who is it for?
users
Why does it matter
to them?
needs &
goals
What can they do that
they couldnʼt do before?
uses
What features do they
need to do that?
features
How do those limited
features fit together?
product,
brand & voice
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

17. Questions => Activities
Customer
development
Who is it for?
Why does it matter
to them?
or...user research
What can they do that
they couldnʼt do before?
What features do they
need to do that?
How do those limited
features fit together?
Sketches &
prototypes
before UI. Before code.
Experiments,
MVPs, Metrics
and...usability testing
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

18. Questions => Activities
Customer
development
Who is it for?
Why does it matter
to them?
or...user research
What can they do that
they couldnʼt do before?
Interviews
What features do they
need to do that?
How do those limited
features fit together?
Sketches &
prototypes
before UI. Before code.
Experiments,
MVPs, Metrics
and...usability testing
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

19. SSCI
(Super Simplified Customer Interviews)
• Identify who you want to talk to.
• Articulate your hypotheses.
• Jot down conversation prompts.
• Have the conversation
• Debrief!
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

20. Conversation Prompts
“Have you ever had ________ experience?”
“Can you tell me the story about that?”
“And then what happened?”
“Why [or how] did you do that?”
“What did you love [or hate] about that?”
“If you could wave a magic wand,
what would it be like?”
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

21. During the Interview
DO
• Take notes
• Smile
• Ask open-ended questions
• Get their story
• Shut up and listen
90% Listening
10% Talking
DONʼT • Talk about your product
• Ask about future behavior
• Sell
• Ask leading questions
• Talk much
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

22. After the Interview: Debrief
DUMP (5min, solo)
1 idea per sticky
“What I heard”
“What I saw”
“What stood out”
SORT (10min, team)
• Collect similar items
• Label groups
• Stack duplicates
• Note trends and exceptions
Validate or invalidate your hypothesis
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

23. @katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

24. Go be awesome.
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

25. Q&A + Discussion
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

26. LUXr delivers practical tools to
entrepreneurs worldwide, helping
early-stage entrepreneurs deliver
products that customers want,
need and love to buy.
http://luxr.co
@luxrco
Online Workshops
Actionable workshops for your most urgent
and important problems.
Core Curriculum
7-week path to greatness for startup
entrepreneurs.
@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013