This document discusses problem validation and provides exercises that can be used to teach problem validation. It begins by asking what problems teachers have with teaching problem validation. It then provides an overview of the problem validation process which includes getting buy-in, hypothesizing problems, discovery through customer interviews, and confirmation through a currency test. Examples and exercises are provided for each step of the process to help students learn how to properly validate problems through customer interaction before building solutions. Teachers are offered the option to purchase these exercises for use in their own entrepreneurship classes.

1. TEACHING
PROBLEM
VALIDATION
TEACHINGENTREPRENEURSHIP.ORG

2. WHAT ARE
YOUR
PROBLEMS

3. WHAT ARE
YOUR
PROBLEMS
TEACHING PROBLEM
VALIDATION?

4. PLATFORM
TOUR

5. DOAN WINKEL
John J. Kahl, Sr. Chair of Entrepreneurship
John Carroll University
JUSTIN WILCOX
Founder, Customer Development Labs
Author, FOCUS Framework

6. CUSTOMERS DON’T BUY
products
CUSTOMERS BUY SOLUTIONS TO
problems
Why Problem Validation?

7. Why Problem Validation?
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8. WHAT ARE
YOUR
PROBLEMS
TEACHING PROBLEM
VALIDATION?

9. Problem Validation
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing
3.Discovery
4.Confirmation
PROBLEMEXERCISES

10. Our QuestionEXERCISES
Do you
want them
for your class?

11. Problem Validation
1. Buy-In
PROBLEM

12. Getting Buy-In
INVENTOR ENTREPRENEURVS.
Build things. Build things
people buy.

13. Getting Buy-In
INVENTOR ENTREPRENEURVS.

14. Getting Buy-In
INVENTOR ENTREPRENEURVS.

15. CUSTOMERS DON’T BUY
products
CUSTOMERS BUY SOLUTIONS TO
problems
Entrepreneurs Know

16. EXERCISE
Problems. Not Products.
Origin Cases

17. EXERCISERead Origin Story
- Design Conference in SF
- No affordable hotels
- Rent 3 Airbeds (plus breakfast) $80/night
- Others wanted to use the site

18. EXERCISE
Problems. Not Products.
Origin Cases
Big companies, start small
...and solve real problems.

19. Problem Validation
1. Buy-In
PROBLEM
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing

20. PROBLEM
Idea Generation
Problem Generation
EXERCISEHypothesizing

21. HypothesizingEXERCISE
Problem Generation

22. Problem ValidationPROBLEM
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing
3.Discovery

23. DiscoveryPROBLEM
Interviews
1. Who to Ask
2. How to Ask
3. What to Ask
1. Who to Ask

24. Who to Interview
Early Adopters
People seeking a solution to
the problem

25. EXERCISE
Your Early Adopters
Discovery

26. Design Conference Attendees
“I can’t find a hotel room for < $200”

27. “I can’t find a hotel room for < $200”
Searches for hostels
Asks about room share on forum
Asks a friend about a place to stay
Tries couchsurfing
Stays far away and rents a car
Looks up rooms on craigslist
Asks about good hostels on Facebook
Asks about room share on forum
Posts on Couchsurfing for a room
Asks a question on TripAdvisor
Posts on craigslist about a room share

28. DiscoveryPROBLEM
Interviews
1. Who to Ask
2. How to Ask
3. What to Ask
1. Who to Ask

29. Problem ValidationPROBLEM
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing
3.Discovery
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing
3.Discovery
4.Confirmation

30. ConfirmationPROBLEM
Problem isn’t validated
until customers
“pay” to solve it

31. ConfirmationPROBLEM
Currency Test
1. Marketing Channel
2. MVP
3. Success Metrics
EXERCISE

32. EXERCISE
Currency Test Template
Confirmation

33. Design conference forums
Website to rent airbeds out in our
apartment during design conference.
$80/night. Includes breakfast.
7/1/2017 7/15/2017
Revenue
$500
$200
Rent whole house
Raise price
Pivot to Developers
EXERCISE

34. Problem ValidationPROBLEM
1. Buy-In
2.Hypothesizing
3.Discovery
4.Confirmation
EXERCISES

35. Our QuestionEXERCISES
Do you want them
for your class?
4 OF 35
$99/
student

36. TEACHING
PROBLEM
VALIDATION
TEACHINGENTREPRENEURSHIP.ORG