This short presentation will help you discover your customers, and identify what they want from your startup. Keep this information in mind when creating your value proposition!

1. http://fi.co | @founding
How to Determine
What Your Customer
Wants
By Travis Levell

2. http://fi.co | @founding
Introduction
In order to ensure success for your business, you
first need to know what your customer wants.
Here are some strategies to get you
started:

3. http://fi.co | @founding
Research Your Customers
Conduct extensive research into the online realms your customers
are located. The research stage is where you will discover what is
popular in your market and the problems your potential customers
have with current products.
To learn more about your customers’ pain points, be sure to keep
abreast of the following:
- Tech and startup news sites
- Industry-specific blogs
- Forums related to your market

4. http://fi.co | @founding
Research Your Customers
For more information on where to find your customers,
read the Founder Institute’s exclusive Startup Cheatsheet,
12 Places to Find Your Target Customers

5. http://fi.co | @founding
Interview Your Customers
Contact your potential customers and ask them for feedback on the
product or service you are developing. While surveys can be helpful,
you can get the best feedback by taking your client out to lunch or
coffee and interviewing them one on one.
Customer Interview Questions:
1. What’s the hardest part about [problem context]?
2. Can you tell me about the last time that happened?
3. Why was it hard?
4. What, if anything, have you done to solve that problem?
5. What don’t you love about the solutions you’ve tried?

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Interview Your Customers
To learn more about how to get the most from your
customers, check out our blog post, How to Have
Your Customer Build Your Product for You

7. http://fi.co | @founding
Identify the Competition
Explore your respective market extensively, and examine the
companies that have failed and succeeded in your industry.
• What did these companies do right?
• What did these companies do wrong?
• What products do these companies offer and how can you make
yours better?
• What are the current trends? How are they changing and where are
they headed?

8. http://fi.co | @founding
Identify the Competition
Want more tips on evaluating your competitors? Read
this syndicated blog post, by George Deeb, Managing
Partner at Red Rocket Ventures
Identifying Your Competition

9. http://fi.co | @founding
Now get out there
and discover what
your customer
wants!
http://fi.co