Recording available here: https://youtu.be/zZVoo5AbANI
As technologists, we love to build things. And we sometimes forget that our customers (or potential customers) don’t care about what we’re building-- they care about what they’re building, doing, or feeling. In this talk, we’ll explore methodologies that help us continually focus on our customers’ needs, building just enough to learn and iterate towards their desired outcomes.
5. 2012 founded in
New York City
480+ employees1.3M+ developers and
teams
80M+ Droplets
launched to date
$123M+ funding
raised
3rd largest and fastest
growing cloud provider
Investors
6. peers around the world of RAM of storage
12 data centers in 8 global markets
1500+ 1.2PB+ 50PB
9. Abstract:
As technologists, we love to build things. And we sometimes forget that our customers (or potential customers) don’t care about what
we’re building-- they care about what they’re building, doing, or feeling. In this talk, we’ll explore methodologies that help us continually
focus on our customers’ needs, building just enough to learn and iterate towards their desired outcomes. Coming away from this, you’ll
have a few more tools in the toolbox for your lean startup.
10. Building something new is always difficult
Now may feel more difficult than ever
But there’s hope
12. Move quickly (while big companies reorganize)
Downturns create problems that entrepreneurs can solve
Save on costs (while big companies cut their fat)
Find the talent seeking opportunity (while big companies
shed workers)
All recessions end (hardy startups are the readiest to
rebound)
Maximize Startup Advantages During a Downturn
14. Not raising VC can be a blessing in disguise
Challenging times offer room for reinvention
Entrepreneurs in challenging times are unique because they
are resilient, purposeful, and don’t take things for granted
Serve your customers, one at a time; know your customers;
genuinely help them
It’s possible to successfully transition from projects → products
Invest for the long haul
15. So how do we get ruthless about solving real
customer pain points? Obsessed with helping
our customers?
48. Jobs To Be Done
1 Interview Users
● Mental Model interviews - users’ own words
● Worst case + Ideal “stories”
● No solutions!
2 Synthesize
● Write “jobs” across the whole
Customer Journey
● Grouping larger themes
● Build a mental model
● Touchpoint Mapping workshop
3 Write User Stories
JTBD.info. https://jtbd.info/; strategyn.com/;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kI-CshHxHY
49. Tell me about a specific instance where you faced a particularly difficult situation with a tool
or solution you or your team was using. What solution/tool and what was the story?
50. Tell me about a specific instance where a tool or solution you (or your team) was using
worked particularly well. What solution / tool and what was the story?
51. When we’re a very
small team trying to
build something new
we often want to use
3rd party solutions for
large parts of it
so that we can focus
more of our time on the
things that make us
unique.
52. Desired Outcomes
1 Identify Desired Outcomes
● Use their own words
● Progress or improvement
● No solutions!
2 Quantify
● Survey (statistical significance)
● Scorecard
● Analyze for Under-Served
3 Speak to your audience
● In their own words + desires
53. When thinking about your daily work, how
important is it to: focus more on the things that
make your company unique ?
Get Quantitative
54. How would you rate your current set of tools in
how well they help you: focus more on the things
that make your company unique ?
Get Quantitative
86. Takeaways
Path of least resistance can lead into the trap
Actively de-risk the thing that makes you most uncomfortable
Find the simplest thing(s) you can do to get comfortable
Move on to the next most uncomfortable thing
Even in challenging times, you can create something valuable but it’s more
important than ever to solve real customer pain points
