12. @thinknow
You might have founder myopia if you…
Think your product is for “everyone”
Believe “if we build it they will come”
Spend more time pitching than listening
Get excited about vanity metrics
Argue with team members about priorities
Have not failed recently
24. @thinknow
How do you find (the right) people?
✦
Social media (Facebook, Twitter)
✦
Special interest groups (Meetups)
✦
Friends and Family
✦
Coffee shops, malls….wherever they are
25. @thinknow
Pair interviewing
Two different jobs (remember to take turns!)
• One person guide the conversations
• The other takes notes, ensures completeness
Benefits
• Easier to focus on just talking or note-taking
• Better shared understanding later
32. @thinknow
Tips for sharing what you learn
✦
Notes on cards or stickies
✦
Photos
✦
Put it on the wall
✦
Small conversations, frequently
✦
Rainbow spreadsheet
37. @thinknow
Hypotheses
We can attract people who live within a 100-mile radius of NYC to this
event via a FB event and MC mailing.
Asking people to RSVP will increase the chances they show up.
Spending money promoting the event will result in on-site sales (via
more qualified leads attending)
38.
39. @thinknow
What we learned
We can attract people who live within a 100-mile radius of NYC to this
event via a FB event and MC mailing. FAIL
Asking people to RSVP will increase the chances they show up. FAIL
Spending money promoting the event will result in on-site. sales (via
more qualified leads attending) FAIL
40. @thinknow
New hypothesis
We suspect that Friday 3-7 isn't a convenient time.
We will do our next event on a weekday (T, W, Th) later (6-10) or weekend
during the day.
41. @thinknow
The antidote to founder myopia
Recognize you are not your customer
Fall in love with a problem, not a solution
Get out of the building (GOOB)
Listen more than you pitch
Balance intuition with data
Celebrate failure
46. @thinknow
Make a topic map (team activity)
5 min Individual activity (silent): Write stickies that
answer the question “what do I wish I knew
about my customer/user?”
5 min Group activity: Taking turns, read your stickies
to each other and put them on a table or
poster.
5 min Group activity: organize the stickies, give each
group a short 1-3 word name.
5 min Individual activity: Copy the group names to a
piece of paper to make a topic map.