The document discusses mistakes to avoid when talking to customers early in the product development process. It recommends asking customers questions about how they currently solve problems rather than asking for opinions. Meetings should conclude by asking customers to make commitments, like testing an early product. Interviews should be quick and focused on important issues to speed up learning and development. The most important resources for entrepreneurs are access to good cofounders and their own time and focus.

1. LEAN STARTUP
RUSSIA 2015
Москва, 1-3 октября
Роб
Фитцпатрик

2. how to talk to
customers
@robfitz

3. #1 killer of
tech startups?

4. Premature scale:
acting like a big company
before you’re ready.

5. Is this a realproblem?
1. Learn

6. Is this a realproblem?
Do the
market and
budget
exist?
1. Learn

7. Does anybody
care at all?
Is this a realproblem?
Do the
market and
budget
exist?
1. Learn

8. Does anybody
care at all?
Is this a realproblem?
Do the
market and
budget
exist?
1. Learn 2. Confirm

9. Does anybody
care at all?
Is this a realproblem?
Do the
market and
budget
exist?
1. Learn
Have I chosen
the correct
features?
2. Confirm

10. Does anybody
care at all?
Is this a realproblem?
Do the
market and
budget
exist?
1. Learn
Have I chosen
the correct
features?
W
illthey
actually
useit?
2. Confirm

11. Does anybody
care at all?
Is this a realproblem?
Do the
market and
budget
exist?
1. Learn
Have I chosen
the correct
features?
Can I get someone
to pay for it?
W
illthey
actually
useit?
2. Confirm

12. Learn Confirm Grow

13. How do we make sure we’ve
got the foundations right?

14. Talking to
customers helps

15. but it’s easy to
mess up

16. The goal is to find out whether
people will pay for our product
before we’ve spent the time &
money to finish building it.

17. Here are the top 3 mistakes.

18. mistake #1.
asking for
opinions
“Do you think…?”
“Do you like…?”
“Would you ever…?”
It’s a great
idea!

19. Bad question
“Do you think
it’s a good
idea?”

20. Bad question
“Do you think
it’s a good
idea?”
Good question
“How do you
currently solve
this problem?”

21. Bad questions ask for compliments
and opinions about your idea.

22. Bad questions ask for compliments
and opinions about your idea.
Good questions ask for facts about
your customers’ lives.

23. But what if you have to show
people your product?

24. mistake #2.
meetings that
go nowhere

25. Bad meeting
You leave with
nothing but a
compliment

26. Bad meeting
You leave with
nothing but a
compliment
Good meeting
You ask for a
commitment
of some value

27. Tip: conclude every meeting by
asking for something of value.

28. “Sounds like a great idea!”
“Will you introduce me to the rest
of your team so I can make sure
it will be good for them, too?”

29. “Sounds like a great idea!”
“Will you introduce me to the rest
of your team so I can make sure
it will be good for them, too?”

30. “I love it!”
“Would you be willing to give the
product a try and be featured in
a public case study?”

31. “I love it!”
“Would you be willing to give the
product a try and be featured in
a public case study?”

32. “We definitely need something like
this!”
“Will you sign a letter of intent saying
that you’ll buy it once it’s ready?”

33. “We definitely need something like
this!”
“Will you sign a letter of intent saying
that you’ll buy it once it’s ready?”

34. Asking for early commitments
helps you avoid compliments
and know who is serious

35. mistake #3.
wasting time

36. • Long (hour+)
• Interview script
• Formal
• Slows down product
development
Bad interview

37. • Quick & casual
• Focused on a few
important issues
• Speeds up product
development
• Long (hour+)
• Interview script
• Formal
• Slows down product
development
Bad interview Good interview

38. Keep it casual by knowing your
3 big questions and chatting
to every customer you see.

39. Learning from customers happens at
the same time as product
development.
It helps you avoid building features
nobody wants.

40. What’s the most important
resource to an entrepreneur?
Good cofounders,
plus your time & focus.

41. What’s the most important
resource to an entrepreneur?
Access to good cofounders,
and your own time & focus.

42. Thanks!
@robfitz
momtestbook.com