Business Model & Customer Interviewing

Introduction

Now that you have completed the Lean Canvas Business Model, it is time to test out the idea! We use an approach that helps you get at really understanding the problem that your prospects face as it relates to your proposed Value Proposition.

The main goal is to determine if you can get interviews from people who might use your product without telling them upfront about your product.  People are notorious for saying they love a product idea, but then when it comes time to buy it, they don't actually want it.  So the approach is to understand the problem and then you can see if people are motivated to solve the problem.  If they are motivated to solve the problem, then you can start to talk to them about your product, what it might be worth, etc.

The Learning Objectives for this lesson are:

• 1. Understand the customer interview philosophy
  2. Design the customer interview form
  3. Effectively carry out customer interviews
  4. Reflect on and improve customer interview skills
  5. Reflect on and improve your questionnaire design skills

Theory Corner

The theory behind customer interviews for product development is to gather insights, feedback and validated learning from potential and existing customers to inform the development and design of a product.

The key theories behind customer interviews for product development are:

1. Customer-centered: Customer interviews are a customer-centered approach to product development, as they allow organizations to understand the needs, wants, and pain points of their target customers, and use that information to inform product design and development.
2. Validated Learning: Customer interviews provide validated learning about the market and the target customers, allowing organizations to make informed decisions about product development based on actual customer feedback, rather than assumptions or guesses.
3. Iterative approach: Customer interviews are an iterative process, as organizations can gather feedback from customers at various stages of product development, and use that feedback to make iterative improvements and refinements to the product.
4. Continuous improvement: Customer interviews support a culture of continuous improvement, as organizations can use customer feedback to continuously improve their product over time, ensuring that it meets the evolving needs of the target customers.
5. Collaboration: Customer interviews can foster collaboration between organizations and their customers, as they provide an opportunity for open and honest feedback, and allow organizations to build relationships with their customers.

In summary, the theory behind customer interviews for product development is to gather insights, feedback and validated learning from potential and existing customers to inform the development and design of a product, using a customer-centered, iterative, and continuous improvement approach to ensure that the product meets the evolving needs of the target customers.