Build What Matters - Dirk Lehmann

1. BUILD WHAT MATTERS
AND HOW TO FIND IT

2. Why do most startups fail?
7/17/192
Most startups are
not missing an idea
but a market

3. LAUNCHING THE PRODUCT IS
THE MOST EXPENSIVE
CUSTOMER RESEARCH YOU CAN DO

4. „MAKE SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT. THAT’S
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM.“
Paul Graham, Investor, Co-Founder of Y-Combinator
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5. FIRST DEVELOP CUSTOMERS,
THEN DEVELOP THE PRODUCT

6. But who is your Customer Really?
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7. The Typical Way to Define a Customer
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Male
Born in 1948 in the UK
Married
Very successful
Loves dogs
Heavy Traveler

8. Same Data but Different People
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9. Accept the Diversity of Life
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10. Companies are Humans – in a Group
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11. What to do now?
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12. Define a specific Customer Persona
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13. Create a Customer Persona
Draw your
Customer
Behaviours
Demographics Goals
Compare with your team later

14. How To Know You Are Right?
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15. The Truth is outside of the building
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16. Build A Business On Facts, Not Opinions
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17. TEST EVERY ASSUMPTION
BE PREPARED TO BE WRONG
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18. 5 Tipps to Win at Interviews
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19. Never Pitch, Never Sell
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Don‘t mention
your solution
If you pitch me
I‘ll just be nice

20. Ask Open Questions
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Ask Why often to
understand your
customer better

21. Listen 80% of the Time
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Silence is Gold
Let people think
to find the truth

22. Past Matters - Future Doesn‘t
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Ask for past behaviour,
not future intentions
Always avoid „would“

23. Keep it Casual
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An interview is a
conversation
Any formal setting
will create bias

24. Extra Tipp: Do it together
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One asks
questions
One listens
Record later

25. 17.07.1925
SET YOUR MINDSET RIGHT:
EXPLORATION VS LOOKING
JUST FOR CONFIRMATION

26. Where to Find Your Customers?
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§ On the street (train stations,
malls, universities, etc.)
§ Topic specific forums and blogs
§ Social Media (Hashtags, groups,
fanpages, LinkedIn search)
§ Where the problem and current
solution exist in the real world
§ In B2B: Personal intros and
former staff on LinkedIn

27. You got the entire EIA Family
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28. The Happy End to an Interview
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After first interview:
§ Permission to contact the
customer again (ask for e-mail)
§ Ask for referrals to other
potential customers
In a follow up conversation:
§ Try a signup, pre-sale or LOI

29. Record everything and find the
patterns that matter the most!
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30. Where To Get Even More Data?
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Online Surveys
Observation

31. Some Tips for Online Surveys
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Observation
§ Don‘t Do Online Surveys
§ Introduce yourself at the
start and build trust
§ Ask as few questions as
possible for your idea
§ Only ask for necessary
personal data at the end

32. Some Tips for Observations
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§ Don‘t be the creepy guy
§ Define the questions you
want to find answers for
§ Choose a natural setting
and don‘t interfere with it
§ Record everything, even if
it seams insignificant

33. 17.07.1933
CHEATING ON CUSTOMER DISCOVERY
INTERVIEWS IS LIKE CHEATING IN
YOUR PARACHUTE PACKING CLASS.
Steve Blank – Father of Lean Startup

34. Go out there & Find what matters!
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