Customer Discovery

1. Customer Discovery
Basic Concepts & Lessons Learned so far
Arunima Singh
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2. Topics
• Intro
• Goals, Introductions & Agenda
• Problem Theory
• Customer Theory
• Assumptions/ Hypothesis
• Data Types
• Analysis <> Ideation
• Wrap-up
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3. us
r
What is the one problem you are solving for your target user?
How do you know the problem exists?
Can you prove it?
Problem Theory
Accountability is
key to the design
process, make
sure it’s never just
you and your
assumptions.

4. us
r
We will make_________________________________
for _________________________in________________
because they need ___________________________
[what]
[who]
[why]
[where]
Challenge Statement

5. We will make_________________________________
for _________________________in________________
because they need ___________________________
[what]
[who]
[why]
[where]
Clarity ASSUMPTION

6. Testing
1. Discover the
“why”
2. To prove the
“who”
3. To determine the
“what”
We will make_________________________________
for _________________________in________________
because they need ___________________________
[what]
[who]
[why]
[where]

7. The Motto
Forget your solution.
Focus on understanding people and their
problems.
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8. A customer focused
approach...Make sure the problem actually exists
You are never your own customer
Assumptions can kill your business
Prioritize problems that directly impact your core business
Test, proof and validate everything
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9. Customer Theory
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10. To find a problem, you have to start with an assumption of
who has that problem.
In discovering what problems those people have, you
discover the “why”, while proving the “who”.
If we know “who” and “why”, then we can begin to test ideas
for the “what” (<-- product).
Where to start
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11. Céline
Age 29
Story
● Travel writer & well-known blogger based in Paris.
● Just published her first book of travel photography.
● Has 500+followers on Twitter, 2k+ followers on
Instagram.
Biggest needs (define as a team):
Céline needs a way to _____________________________
& wants the experience to be _______________________
because she values _______________________________.
Needs:
- Example: An easy solution to grow her personal
brand
Wants:
- Example: To be famous
Fears:
- Example: That she’ll never get public recognition for
her work
Motivations:
- Example: Wants to support her family and self
confidence through public recognition
Customer
Persona
Your Paying
Customer

12. Céline
Age 29
Story
● Travel writer & well-known blogger based in Paris.
● Just published her first book of travel photography.
● Has 500+followers on Twitter, 2k+ followers on
Instagram.
Biggest needs (define as a team):
Céline needs a way to _____________________________
& wants the experience to be _______________________
because she values _______________________________.
Needs:
- Example: An easy solution to grow her personal
brand
Wants:
- Example: To be famous
Fears:
- Example: That she’ll never get public recognition for
her work
Motivations:
- Example: Wants to support her family and self
confidence through public recognition
ASSUMPTION
Customer
Persona
Your Paying
Customer

13. User Journey Mapping
What are they doing now?
us
r
1. Review persona
2. Review their core wants and needs
3. Map out customer journey assumptions
Discovery First Action Action
Complete!
Commitment/
Sign Up
Problem Search For
Solution

14. Assumptions / Hypothesis
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15. us
r
Application of your choice...
Assumption
Brain Dump

16. Testing Theory
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17. Quantitative Data
The “what happens”
Data defined by numbers, a
“quantity”.
Most often associated directly to
metrics as easy to track.
Limited learning as provides
minimal insight to WHY change is
happening.
Qualitative Data
The “why it happens”
Data that is descriptive, or
contextual.
Difficult to analyze and to track.
Maximized, in-depth learning
focused on the why, how, thoughts,
motivations and feelings that lead to
action.
Data Types
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18. Quantitative Data Examples
Website bounce rate: 43%
Average revenue growth (month-to-
month) in 2015: 24%
Average number times user opens
the app per week: 2
Qualitative Data Example
A control group of active users say
that their core problem is actually
saving up the money for a
purchase, rather than the decision
to spend.
Their core motivation for spending
money is attached to feeling good
about owning things.
Data Types
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19. Quantitative Data Methods
Analytics platforms
Event recording
Pattern recognition
Surveys
Qualitative Data Methods
User Interviews
Observational / Usability testing
Interaction / Blind testing
Data Types
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20. Qualitative Data Questions
OPEN QUESTIONS
An open question is a question that
forces the interviewee to explain their
response.
Example Question:
What type of handbags do you buy?
Example Answer:
“It’s an important part of my daily
fashion so I really go for things that
match my normal clothing.”
Quantitative Data Questions:
CLOSED QUESTIONS
A closed question is a question with a
yes or no answer, producing a
quantitative response.
Example Question:
Do you buy handbags?
Example Answer:
“yes” or “no”
Data Types
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21. Qualitative Data
The “why it happens”
Data that is descriptive, or
contextual.
Difficult to analyze and to track.
Maximized, in-depth learning
focused on the why, how, thoughts,
motivations and feelings that lead to
action.
Our Data Focus
Quantitative Data
The “what happens”
Data defined by numbers, a
“quantity”.
Most often associated directly to
metrics as easy to track.
Limited learning as provides
minimal insight to WHY change is
happening.
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22. Start at the beginning
- test the most important assumptions first, even if they
are harder to test
Stay focused
- don’t test everything at once
Always follow up
- Never, EVER, stop testing assumptions you’ve validated
What to test...
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23. How to test...
Start with qualified to determine quantified
- test the most important assumptions first, even if they
are harder to test
Ask open questions
- Quantitative data is only helpful if you understand the
motivations behind an action
Listen
- never try to convince users; instead learn how to help
them achieve their goals
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24. Testing Practice
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25. Example Questions
[to qualify a user, you may sometimes need to start your interview with a
closed question: “Do you own handbags?” would be an example qualifier
for the following interview.]
1. Where do you go to buy handbags? (why?)
2. What type of handbags do you buy (brands, styles, etc)? (why?)
3. What is important to you when buying a handbag? (why?)
4. How many handbags do you buy per month/year/decade?
5. If you could change anything about buying handbags, what would it
be? (why?)
6. Who else in your social circles buys handbags? (why?)
7. Have you ever bought a handbag online?
a. If yes, where and how was your experience? If no, why not?
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26. Non Leading
When trying to discover a problem, you need to be as non-leading as
possible.
For example, instead of asking a user about funding for social businesses
(which assumes that funding is a problem) you may first need to ask a
broader set of question.
For example:
What are the challenges you currently face?
Which of those challenges is threatening your business the most? Why?
Do you wish there were other ways to solve the challenge? Why?
How much time do you currently spend to solve this challenge?
etc… etc…
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27. Non Leading cont’d
Customers are liars: It is a social reflex for people to want to please you.
They don’t want to hurt your feelings. Even if you tell them “be brutally
honest”.
Factor this in and try to ask questions in a way that makes it hard for them
to lie. That is the easiest by asking them about things they did in the past
instead of asking them to speculate about things they may do in the future.
For example:
Have you ever received trainings or support from other organizations?
…then dig deeper to understand the type of support, costs, etc.
As opposed to:
Would you be interested in trainings?
Rule of thumb: Avoid speculative questions and watch out for evil words
like would, could, should, …
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28. The 5 Whys
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29. Soft skills
- Be an archeologist!
- It’s a skill – you will need practice
- Not everyone is equally good at it – that’s ok
- Get comfy & try to have the interview on the entrepreneur's turf
- Have fun and don’t be afraid!
The process
- Have a very focused assumption on your VP
- When you stumble across an opportunity, dig, dig, dig
- Put time into the persona as it will help you with validation
- Avoid having more than 2-3 people at the interview
Lessons Learned
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30. Lessons Learned Cont’d
The process (cont’d)
- Ideal interviewer hasn’t had prior contact with the interviewee
- Avoid taking notes when you are the lead interviewer
- Focus on the entrepreneur fully
The content
- Fine balance between introducing yourself and creating bias.
Tunisia team asked interviewees that had some exposure to
YSB: “In your own words, what does YSB do?”
- Remember the 5 whys: In some cases it helped reveal that the
entrepreneur was bullshitting
- If they had interactions with YSB before, it’s ok to ask them
about their experience AT THE END of the interview.
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31. Finally DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
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