Stop Building and Talk to People

Building production-quality software is the most expensive way to validate your ideas. This workshop covers the essentials of customer discovery - validating problems and opportunities through customer interviews so that you can focus on the right problems that really matter to your customers.

Transcript

1. regan davis
   regandavis.com
   stop building
   (and talk to people)
   

   View Slide

2. regan davis
   product leader from chicago, il
   HISTORY
   Director of Product @ SpotHero
   VP of Product @ Jellyvision
   VP of Product @ info.com
   regandavis.com
   

   View Slide

3. inconvenient truths
   (credit: Marty Cagan) regandavis.com
   

   View Slide

4. inconvenient truths
   (not Marty Cagan)
   (credit: Marty Cagan) regandavis.com
   

   View Slide

5. truth #1
   At least half of our ideas are just not going to work.
   regandavis.com
   (credit: Marty Cagan)
   

   View Slide

6. truth #1
   At least half of our ideas are just not going to work.
   valuable
   usable
   feasible
   viable
   not
   regandavis.com
   (credit: Marty Cagan)
   

   View Slide

7. truth #1
   At least half of our ideas are just not going to work.
   truth #2
   It takes 5-7 iterations to achieve the expected value.
   regandavis.com
   (credit: Marty Cagan)
   

   View Slide

8. FAILURE
   42% of startups’
   no market need
   (credit: CB Insights) regandavis.com
   is due to
   

   View Slide

9. (credit: Lean Startup) regandavis.com
   

   View Slide

10. is the most expensive
    way to test your idea.
    regandavis.com
    building production-quality software
    

    View Slide

11. is the most expensive
    way to test your idea.
    regandavis.com
    building production-quality software
    cheap by comparison
    research is
    

    View Slide

12. (credit: Design Thinking, British Design Council) regandavis.com
    double diamond
    Problems Solutions
    

    View Slide

13. how to talk to
    people
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

14. people are liars*
    *(but, like, nice liars)
    

    View Slide

15. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    ladder of evidence
    Time and Effort
    Value of Learning
    

    View Slide

16. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    ladder of evidence
    Time and Effort
    Value of Learning
    listen
    specific stories of the past
    what they’ve done in the past
    what they would do
    

    View Slide

17. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    ladder of evidence
    Time and Effort
    Value of Learning
    listen
    specific stories of the past
    what they’ve done in the past
    what they would do
    watch
    observe them in a real-life instance
    ask to show you what they did
    

    View Slide

18. is better than the future
    regandavis.com
    past
    

    View Slide

19. is better than the future
    regandavis.com
    past
    

    View Slide

20. is better than the future
    regandavis.com
    past
    Accurate & Predictive
    

    View Slide

21. is better than the future
    regandavis.com
    past
    “Would you be
    interested in this
    product?”
    (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk)
    

    View Slide

22. is better than the future
    regandavis.com
    past
    “Would you be
    interested in this
    product?”
    “Have you ever
    paid for a service
    like this?
    (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk)
    

    View Slide

23. tell me a story
    

    View Slide

24. research
    what we need to learn
    into
    what we ask to elicit
    stories that illustrate
    what we need to learn
    interview questions
    (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    research questions
    interview questions
    translate
    

    View Slide

25. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    Outcome: Increase Engagement
    What keeps people engaging in Netflix today?
    What prevents people from engaging?
    research questions
    

    View Slide

26. What keeps people engaging in Netflix today?
    What prevents people from engaging?
    (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    research questions
    interview questions
    Outcome: Increase Engagement
    Tell me about the last time you watched
    Netflix.
    

    View Slide

27. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    Learnings:
    • People stop watching bc they run out of things to watch.
    Goal for this round:
    • You want to learn how other people choose what to watch next.
    

    View Slide

28. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    research questions
    interview questions
    Learnings:
    • People stop watching bc they run out of things to watch.
    listen for…
    

    View Slide

29. b2b techniques
    

    View Slide

30. user
    buyer
    

    View Slide

31. tips and tricks
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

32. don’t explain
    don’t speak
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

33. don’t explain
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

34. bring a friend
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

35. sourcing
    interviews
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

36. regandavis.com
    Remote
    ethn.io
    Quaraloo
    Usabilia
    UserInterviews.com
    

    View Slide

37. regandavis.com
    Remote
    ethn.io
    Quaraloo
    Usabilia
    UserInterviews.com
    In-Person
    Craigslist
    Starbucks, street corners,
    waiting in line for a concert
    

    View Slide

38. people are liars*
    

    View Slide

39. regandavis.com
    ask multiple-choice
    questions
    try not to lead to one
    “right” answer
    target behaviors, not
    just demographics
    screener
    (credit: userinterviews.com)
    

    View Slide

40. be upfront,
    honest, & kind.
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

41. recording
    requires consent
    regandavis.com
    (app: otter.ai)
    “Are you comfortable with me recording
    this conversation so that we can refer to it
    later?
    We won’t plan on sharing any of your
    statements outside of [our company].”
    

    View Slide

42. develop
    themes
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

43. regandavis.com
    rainbow report
    

    View Slide

44. regandavis.com
    Barrier Themes How Might We…?
    MVP
    Priority?
    People finish a series, have nothing new to
    watch
    • Transition them to another series seamlessly?
    • Recommend something they’ll love next?
    No
    Prospect customers overwhelmed by plan
    options
    • Simplify the decision to get started?
    • Remove the fear of making a wrong decision?
    Yes
    New customers don’t know where to start
    • Start them with a great series they’ll love?
    • Teach them how to use the system?
    • Make it easy to stop something and choose
    something different?
    Yes
    affinity clusters
    

    View Slide

45. recap
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

46. (credit: Design Thinking, British Design Council) regandavis.com
    double diamond
    Problems Solutions
    

    View Slide

47. (credit: Teresa Torres, Product Talk) regandavis.com
    ladder of evidence
    Time and Effort
    Value of Learning
    listen
    specific stories of the past
    what they’ve done in the past
    what they would do
    watch
    observe them in a real-life instance
    ask to show you what they did
    

    View Slide

48. tell me a story
    

    View Slide

49. regandavis.com
    Remote
    ethn.io
    Quaraloo
    Usabilia
    UserInterviews.com
    In-Person
    Craigslist
    Starbucks, street corners,
    waiting in line for a concert
    

    View Slide

50. be upfront,
    honest, & kind.
    regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

51. regandavis.com
    

    View Slide

52. questions?
    NEXT STEPS
    regandavis.com/speaker
    regandavis.com/feedback
    regan@regandavis.com
    regandavis.com
    download
    feedback
    contact
    

    View Slide