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How to do Customer
Development Interviews

Jason @Evanish
December 7, 2013

Lean Startup Machine
San Francisco, CA
Everyone knows you should
talk to customers.
But no one talks about
how to actually do it.
Let’s make this easy.
Who is Jason @Evanish?
100’s of customer development interviews with:

Cofounded:
Blog my learnings at:

JasonEvanish.com
A Customer Development Interview
is like a house…
It starts with a good foundation.
Then you build on it.
Finally, you add the roof.
Your foundation is the
The walls are
The roof is your
to
Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts.
Build the foundation: Get to know
the
you’re interviewing.
Person Questions:
• Who are they? What’s their role?
• Where do they interact with peers?
• How do they find new products for
home or work?
• How much time do they spend on
[Task X]?
• How is their budget handled?

Let’s write the script
Learn about them &
their role in the industry
Problem Questions:
• What are your top 3 challenges you
face in your job related to [industry]?
• Why? Tell me more…
• What’s frustrating or time consuming
about [problem area]?
• If you could wave a magic wand…
what would the solution be?

Let’s write the script
Learn if they have the
problem you’re solving
Solution Questions:
• Does this solve any of the problems
we discussed earlier?
• Would you be willing to pay for this?
• Are you interested in signing up to be
one of our early users?
• What’s your biggest concern with my
product?

Let’s write the script
Gauge their interest
& gather feedback
Contact me…I’m happy to help.
On Twitter: @Evanish
Email me about
mentorship, advising or
consulting:
Evanish.J@Gmail.com
Find all my Lean learnings at:
JasonEvanish.com/lean-startups/
Find a detailed, blog form of the interview process at: bit.ly/CustDevInterview
And tips for finding your first customers at: bit.ly/1stcustomers

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How to do Customer Development Interviews to Validate your Startup Idea

  • 1. How to do Customer Development Interviews Jason @Evanish December 7, 2013 Lean Startup Machine San Francisco, CA
  • 2. Everyone knows you should talk to customers.
  • 3. But no one talks about how to actually do it.
  • 5. Who is Jason @Evanish? 100’s of customer development interviews with: Cofounded: Blog my learnings at: JasonEvanish.com
  • 6. A Customer Development Interview is like a house…
  • 7. It starts with a good foundation.
  • 8. Then you build on it.
  • 9. Finally, you add the roof.
  • 12. The roof is your to
  • 13. Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts.
  • 14. Build the foundation: Get to know the you’re interviewing.
  • 15. Person Questions: • Who are they? What’s their role? • Where do they interact with peers? • How do they find new products for home or work? • How much time do they spend on [Task X]? • How is their budget handled? Let’s write the script
  • 16. Learn about them & their role in the industry
  • 17.
  • 18. Problem Questions: • What are your top 3 challenges you face in your job related to [industry]? • Why? Tell me more… • What’s frustrating or time consuming about [problem area]? • If you could wave a magic wand… what would the solution be? Let’s write the script
  • 19. Learn if they have the problem you’re solving
  • 20.
  • 21. Solution Questions: • Does this solve any of the problems we discussed earlier? • Would you be willing to pay for this? • Are you interested in signing up to be one of our early users? • What’s your biggest concern with my product? Let’s write the script
  • 22.
  • 23.
  • 24. Gauge their interest & gather feedback
  • 25.
  • 26.
  • 27.
  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 30.
  • 31.
  • 32.
  • 33.
  • 34.
  • 35.
  • 36.
  • 37. Contact me…I’m happy to help. On Twitter: @Evanish Email me about mentorship, advising or consulting: Evanish.J@Gmail.com Find all my Lean learnings at: JasonEvanish.com/lean-startups/ Find a detailed, blog form of the interview process at: bit.ly/CustDevInterview And tips for finding your first customers at: bit.ly/1stcustomers

Editor's Notes

  1. Emphasize that any outreach is about having a conversation, not that you’re trying to sell them anything. Everyone likes to help, especially when you’re only asking for 20 minutes of their time. Giving off the vibe you’re trying to sell something will always turn people off.