This document provides tips on validating customer needs by summarizing a customer's problem, understanding their solution to the problem, and determining the value and scalability of a potential solution. It emphasizes open-ended questions to understand the customer's context, problems, substitutes, spending habits, and involving other potential customers. The key goals are learning about real problems rather than selling an idea, focusing on current customer behaviors, and iterating questions based on daily customer conversations rather than one-time interviews. Representatives samples are preferable to scientific research.

1. Tips on validating
the customer need
Topi Järvinen

2. your understanding
of the problem
1
your solution
to the problem
2
the value and
scalability of your
solution
3
ValidateFocus today

3. I believe [type of people]
experience [type of problem]
when doing [type of task]
Cindy Alvarez, Lean Customer Development
3

4. Useful tool and
checklist for
organizing the
test process
4

5. 5
I believe [type of people]
experience [type of problem]
when doing [type of task]
For ex. “Meet x customers”
(who, what kind of roles etc.)
For ex. “How many
validated/invalidated” etc.
For ex. “60% validated the
assumptions” etc.
Focus today

6. 6

7. The Mom test
1. Never ask their opinion, especially about your
idea
2. Ask about their life
3. Ask about specifics in the past
(“Talk me through the last time you…”)
Rob Fitzpatrick, The Mom Test
7

8. What is the most
important question?
Confidential8

9. “Interesting,
can you tell me
more about it?”
Confidential9

10. Aim is to learn about
the real problems –
not sell your idea
10

11. Areas to think about
11
Need and
problem
Context
Other
people
Money and
value
Substitutes

12. 12
Need and
problem
Example question
• What is difficult about [x]?
• What is the problem with [x]?

13. 13
Need and
problem
Try to understand
• What problems they want
someone to solve?
• Your customers behavior or
preferences today?

14. 14
Context
Example questions
• Are there certain things that
usually happen before and after?
• Does it happen often or take a
long time?

15. 15
Context
Try to understand
• Are there specific circumstances?
• What motivates them or
frustrates them in general?
• Limitations they may have
(absolute or self-inflicted)

16. 16
Substitutes
Example questions
• How do you solve this problem?
• Is the current way good
enough? Or do you wish there
was something else available

17. 17
Substitutes
Try to understand
• Who/what are your real
competitors?
• What are the current products not
doing right?

18. 18
Money
and value
Example questions
• How much do you spend on
this type of need?
• Is it a big problem for you?

19. 19
Money
and value
Try to understand
• How they spend money in these
types of situations and/or similar
need?
• What your customers see valuable?

20. 20
Other
people
Example question
• Does someone else have this
same problem? Can you
introduce me her?

21. 21
Other
people
Use this question to meet other
people. Don’t assume that the
person really knows about the
problems others have

22. Start with open
questions
24

23. Let the customer
to do the talking –
listen and learn
25

24. Don’t ask about
things the customer
doesn’t know about
Confidential26

25. Don’t
ask
• If they like the idea
– They may or may not want
to hurt your feelings
• Opinions
• Things that you can get
from Google (locations of
factories, price of x)
27

26. About the future
• Are you likely to use X?
• How much would you pay for X?
• Don’t ask “would you use this
product?”
• Instead, focus on your
customers current actions
28
Don’t
ask

27. Talk to people you
don’t know
29

28. What is a representable
sample size?
How many customers
should I meet?
30

29. Remember
This is not scientific
research
31

30. You end up
talking to a lot
of customers
32
Make (new)
your
guesses
Talk to a
few
potential
customers
Learn and
iterate
Daily

31. Listen and learn
33

32. Contact
Topi Järvinen
+358 40 754 3131
topi@nestholma.com
http://www.nestholma.com