"Getting Out of the Building": Not always the way for a Startup Part 2 of 2
This is a continuation of some ruminations on recent and continual advocacy of "Getting Out of the Building." Part 1 |
| Jibao Team hard at working looking for ways to solve customer challenges. The team from left to right: Gino, Paul, Augus, Kimble and Tony (standing). |
Yes, it makes sense to design a product or service by asking potential customers if they would buy it, by offering them a view into a minimum viable product (MVP) or even a pretotype (pretend prototype). That said, how do you make sense of the feedback, how do you know if they'll ACTUALLY buy the product once it's marketed? We all understand the conventional wisdom that you have to ask the right questions. But that seems to leave too much to chance. The random whimsy of the consumer population chancing after the next trend, twitter or lasting posting on Facebook.
A potentially better method is to use the tried and true method of solution selling. Focus not on your product, but on understanding the potential customer's needs (whether explicit or implicit). Demonstrate a mastery of a customer's challenges and that specific domain. That way, you're in a position to make the right and trusted recommendation for the solution (which typically will be your product/service or something that's a compliment to existing product solution). Get a customer to understand that NOT only is their current challenge worthy of making a change, but helping them see the reasons to change NOW. And finally, when they're ready to make the change - to select your product/service as the solution to help them get on their way.
Find a better way. It's not just about getting out of the building, but also finding what your product/service will solve in the potential customer's life. Even if its simply a value add.
Better than just getting out of the building and doing a survey, really dive down to understand a potential client's challenges and their everyday issues. If you, yourself can't figure it out, ask domain experts. Align yourself with someone who's from that particular field. Asking the right experts is sometimes more important than merely asking the customer.
Good luck with figuring out what your product/service solves.
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