The document discusses the importance of customer exploration methods like conducting interviews to validate assumptions and better understand customer needs and problems. It provides guidance on effective interviewing techniques like having clear objectives and using scripts. The document also outlines how to find early adopter customers, ask the right questions during interviews, and properly record collected data. The overall goal is to get out of the building and learn directly from customers to inform product design and business model ideas.

1. Failing Fast and Saving Time
Customer Exploration Method
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2. Who Are
They?
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3. What is Exploration?
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4. Find the
Pattern
Look for a Pattern
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5. My customer is anyone who...
Todd!
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6. “Customers don't care about your solution.
They care about their problems.”
- Dave McClure
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7. Customer psychology is the
gem of a successful startup
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8. Persona Development
Project Name: Team Leader Name: Experiment #:
Facts
Person Pain
Factual information State the problem you believe
about your target customer. your target customers have,
that your solution solves for.
Behavior Goals
Existing behavior they exhibit now, What goals are they trying to accomplish
because they don’t have your solution. through the behavior, that your solution will do better?
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9. Get Out of the Building
“No business plan survives
first contact with customers.”
- Steve Blank
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10. What’s the point?
• Uncovers how users think and behave
• Validates assumptions/removes bias
• Shows difference between intent and reality
• Provides direction and data instead of
opinion or speculation
• Provides the ability to inform design
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11. It is NOT
• Multiple Choice Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Your Personal (Biased!) Experience
• Conversations with Friends
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12. Effective Interviewing
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13. Go in with 2 to 3 objectives
and have a real conversation.
Brant Cooper
Know your goals and questions.
Giff Constable
Use a script.
Ash Maurya
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14. Persona Development
Project Name: Team Leader Name: Experiment #:
Facts
Person Pain
Factual information State the problem you believe
about your target customer. your target customers have,
that your solution solves for.
Behavior Goals
Existing behavior they exhibit now, What goals are they trying to accomplish
because they don’t have your solution. through the behavior, that your solution will do better?
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15. Friday, July 27, 12
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16. Talking to Customers
Exploration
• Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
• Avoid Would
• The more you ask someone to imagine
something, the less you can trust their data
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17. No Selling Allowed
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18. 3 POINT INTERVIEW
1. Do you have [insert specific
problem]? (context)
2. Tell me about the time you dealt with
this problem? (story)
3. What’s your ideal solution for this?
(solution)
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19. How To Find Customers
1. Interview Strangers on Street
2.Shopping Mall & StarBucks
3.Bored People
4.Craigslist
5.LinkedIn
6.Cold Calls
7.Surveys (For Lead-Gen)
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20. EARLY ADOPTERS
“FOAMING AT THE MOUTH”
1. Have the problem
2. Know they have the problem
3. Searched for solution
4. Hacked a solution
5. Paid for a solution
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21. Record Data
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22. How to Record Date
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23. How to Record Date
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25. Questions?
grace@leanstartupmachine.com
@uxceo
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