What is Customer Discovery 101?

Customer Discovery 101 is a self-guided program with supplemental coaching that is designed to introduce customer discovery basics.

We are going to discuss what it is, why it’s important, and how it reduces risk—whether you are just starting out with an idea for a new product or service, or you are already in business but looking to enter a new market or expand your offerings.

Why Customer Discovery Matters

Customer discovery helps you de-risk your startup process. It asks you to identify and test your core business assumptions, so you can adjust your plan before you invest your money, effort and time into building a business.

Acting on assumptions that haven’t been validated creates unnecessary risk. By taking the time to validate your assumptions, you can reduce risk and increase your chances of identifying a solution that customers actually want.

Program Outline

Step 1: Identify Your Most Critical Assumptions

• Part 1: Introduction to Customer Discovery
• Part 2: List Your Assumptions
• Part 3: Rack and Stack Your Assumptions
• Meet with a coach

Step 2: Interview Potential Customers

• Part 1: Figure Out What To Ask​
• Part 2: Find People to Interview
• Part 3: Conduct Customer Interviews
• Meet with a coach

Step 3: Analyze Customer Feedback

• Part 1: Prepare Your Data
• Part 2: Identify Themes and Patterns
• Part 3: Validate/Invalidate Your Assumptions
• Meet with a coach

Step 4: Define Who, What, and Why

• Part 1: Craft a Job To Be Done Statement
• Part 2: Build Customer Personas
• Part 3: Define Competitors’ Value
• Part 4: Define Your Value Proposition
• Meet with a coach