This document summarizes a customer development workshop that outlines strategies for mitigating business risks through customer engagement. It discusses objectives like questioning assumptions, getting out of the building, and iterating. It emphasizes learning over being right and deeply understanding customer pain or passion. It compares business-to-business and business-to-consumer customer types and learning processes. Finally, it provides tips for finding and engaging with customers through various methods and tools to eliminate risk and build relationships. The overall goal is using customer development to mitigate business risks through learning.

1. Customer Development WorkshopTechBA, San JoseApr 20, 2010 Brant Cooper@brantcoopermarketbynumbers.com

2. The 3 #CustDev Meta Rules1. Question your assumptions2. Get out of the building3. Iterate

3. Objective: Mitigate RiskWhat is the #1 risk to your business?No one cares about your productWhat are product risks?Product doesn’t sufficiently solve problemProduct not usableWhat are other risks?Rational decision outweighed by emotionalCost of acquisition > Lifetime valueMarket too small

4. Objective: LearningPoint is NOT to prove yourself rightPoint is to learn where you are wrongPerspective determines Customer Development approach

5. Objective: EmpathySolution is irrelevantDeeply understand customer pain or passion

6. B2B vs B2C

7. What does B2B care about?Business:Increasing revenueIncreasing market shareDecreasing costsDecreasing riskPeople:Want promotionDon’t want to be firedDon’t want to lose budgetDon’t want to take on risk

8. B2B LearningWho is the buyer?Different than user?Different than decision maker?Where does budget come from?What are decision and purchase processes?Requires pilot? PoC?Length of sales cycle?Channel requirements?Who can kill deal, IT? HR? Finance?Who is your champion?

9. What does B2C care about?People (rational):CostElimination of painFulfillment of passionRisk avoidancePeople (irrational)EmotionsSocial statusSunken costSelf-perception

10. B2C LearningWho has pain or holds passion?Who are decision influencers?Who do they influence?What are hidden drivers?What are similar passions / pains?What do they dream / worry about?What characteristics are shared w/ like buyers?Where do they live? Hang out?What do they require to buy? Demo? Trial?How do they determine who to trust?

11. Finding CustomersFeet on the streetDirectoriesLinkedInSurveysLanding PagesSocial MediaFriends and family

12. Customer Engagement TypeInformational interview; leverage expertiseBuy lunch, cup of coffeeTime-limited phone callIf you have product, sellingSurveys, calibrated w/ interviewsGift cardsUsability testing

13. Customer Engagement ToolsCustomer – Problem – Solution presentationTop 3 learning objectivesPitch problem, not solutionIdentify early adoptersAlways walk away with more namesFollow – upBuild relationships

14. Bottom LineYou Don’t do #CustDev merely to do #CustDevMitigating risk that eliminates waste is the core objective of Customer Development

15. Minimum Viable Product