from cold-sweat questions to hot validated learning [founder institute sf, nov 2013]

@katerutter | luxr.co | Founder Institute SF | NOV 25, 2013

From cold-sweat questions to hot validated learning{or, Customer Development = awesome}

MONDAY, NOV 25, 2013


Kate RutterCo-Founderwww.luxr.co

TWEET!

@katerutter@luxrco

Luxr makes tools to help startups deliver products that people want, need & love to buy.


I am not an expert on your business. You are.

My goal is to help you explorewhat ideas solve real

problems for humans...

so you can validate them andmove them forward.

What to expect...


“But the code validated!”

“The design was brilliant. It just never launched.”

“We made an amazing thing.But nobody wanted it.”

Recognizing Startup Failure






FAIL






waste


Lean Startup

Agile & UX

Customer Development

New approaches


The big idea...

Get out of the

building!


How do I know it

doesn’t suck?

so...

I have a product.


Who will use this?cold-sweat questions

Why will they care?

What can it do that people will pay for?

What features

are most

important?How does everything fit together?


Who will use this?with a bit of tweaking...

Why will they care?

What can it do that people will pay for?

What features

are most

important?How does everythingfit together?


with a bit of tweaking...Who is it for?

Why does it matter to them?

What can they do that they couldnʼt do before?

What features do they need to do that?

How do those limited features fit together?


Who is it for?

Questions == Stack





usersneeds & goalsusesfeaturesproduct, brand & voice

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Who is it for?

Questions == Stack





usersneeds & goalsusesfeaturesproduct, brand & voice


Who is it for?

Questions => Activities





Customer developmentor...user research

Sketches & prototypesbefore UI. Before code.

Experiments, MVPs, Metricsand...usability testing


Who is it for?

Questions => Activities





Customer developmentor...user research

Sketches & prototypesbefore UI. Before code.

Experiments, MVPs, Metricsand...usability testing

Interviews


SSCI(Super Simplified Customer Interviews)

• Identify who you want to talk to.

• Articulate your hypotheses.

• Jot down conversation prompts.

• Have the conversation

• Debrief!


“Have you ever had ________ experience?”

“Can you tell me the story about that?”

“And then what happened?”

“Why [or how] did you do that?”

“What did you love [or hate] about that?”

“If you could wave a magic wand, what would it be like?”

Conversation Prompts


DO• Take notes • Smile• Ask open-ended questions• Get their story• Shut up and listen

DONʼT • Talk about your product• Ask about future behavior• Sell• Ask leading questions• Talk much

90% Listening10% Talking

During the Interview


After the Interview: Debrief

DUMP (5min, solo)1 idea per sticky“What I heard”“What I saw”“What stood out”

SORT (10min, team)• Collect similar items• Label groups• Stack duplicates• Note trends and exceptionsValidate or invalidate your hypothesis


Go be awesome.


Q&A + Discussion


Core Curriculum

Online Workshops

7-week path to greatness for startup entrepreneurs.

Actionable workshops for your most urgent and important problems.

LUXr delivers practical tools to entrepreneurs worldwide, helping early-stage entrepreneurs deliver products that customers want, need and love to buy.

http://luxr.co @luxrco

from cold-sweat questions to hot validated learning [founder institute sf, nov 2013]

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