A quick introduction to doing early interviews for customer development. Given at Lean Startup Machine London, July 2013

1. Customer
Development
Lean Startup Machine, July 27 2013
Adrian Howard (@adrianh)
quietstars.com

2. Hello!

6. “A startup is a temporary organization
designed to search for a repeatable and scalable
business model.”
- Steve Blank

7. “A startup is a temporary organization
designed to search for a repeatable and scalable
business model.”
- Steve Blank

9. “Of all the lessons of Customer Development,
the importance of getting out of the building
and into conversations with your customers is
the most critical.”
- Steve Blank

11. Why do we do
interviews?

12. Learn from
customers

13. Test our
assumptions

14. Interviews ≠ Quiz

15. Interviews ≠ Survey

16. Interviews ≠ Script

17. Interviews cannot
be automated

18. Rapport
&
Empathy

19. Finding customers

20. Hassling people on
the street

21. Tip: Bribes

22. Coffee shops /
Pubs / Bars / etc.

23. Tip:
Don't look scary

24. Go where your
customers are

25. Tip:
Go with somebody

26. Test your channels
to market

27. Third parties:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Customer Support
- Recruiters
- Online

28. So… you've got
yourself a customer

29. SHUT THE
F**K UP

30. “You can observe a lot just by watching.”
- Yogi Berra

31. STALK
before you
TALK
before you
SELL

32. Tip:
Remember the
person.

33. Can you tell me a
little bit about
yourself?

34. Tip:
Reflect back what
the speaker said.

35. Can you tell me
more about X?

36. “Every clarification breeds new questions.”
- Arthur Bloch

37. Tip:
Remember to use
silence and body
language.

38. “The opposite of talking isn't listening. The
opposite of talking is waiting.”
- Fran Lebowitz

39. Tip:
Ask open
questions.

40. What was the last
book you read?

41. Can you tell me
about the kind of
books you read?

42. Tip:
Ask for stories.

43. Can you tell me
about the last
time...

44. Tip:
No leading
questions.

45. Do you want to use
this at work?

46. Where do you use
this?

47. Tip:
Interview in pairs

48. Tip:
Observations vs
insights

50. Tips:
- Stalk > Talk > Sell
- Remember the person.
- Use silence & body language
- Reflect back.
- Ask open questions.
- Ask for stories.
- No leading questions.
- Interview in pairs.
- Observations vs Insights.

51. Practice makes
perfect

53. @adrianh
quietstars.com
slideshare.net/adrianh
adrianh@quietstars.com
Thank You