This is a talk Sean Tierney gave for the 2013 Fall class of SEED SPOT on 9/18/13. It covers a basic introduction to concepts of Customer Development (and specifically focuses on the first phase, Customer Discovery).

1. Customer Development
The framework I wish I could go back in time
and teach my former entrepreneurial self.
by Sean Tierney

2. 1.21 Gigawatts...
Customer Development
is the answer!!

3. My creds

4. Google: “Simon Sinek Ted Talk”

5. Why?
Startups = Greatest Promise
Startups = Hardest Things
20k’ volcano
(hard)
(way harder)

6. Pre Post
Product-Market Fit
Searching for b-model Focused on growth
Stages of Customer Development

7. Your greatest threat = apathy

8. CustDev Lean Canvas

9. What is Customer Development?
Brainchild of Steve Blank
“Four Steps to the Epiphany” = seminal work. The
revised sequel 10yrs later is “Startup Owner’s Manual”
Answers don’t exist within the building... therefore, get
out of the building and talk to your potential customers!
Need to intimately understand the problem & customer
before pushing your solution
CustDev = framework for doing entrepreneurship. Focus
on P-M fit first then worry about growth. Stages are like
“orbits” - must achieve escape velocity to move to next.

10. Google: “Steve Blank Udacity”

11. Pre Post
Product-Market Fit
Stages of Customer Development
Searching Scaling

12. Hypotheses Formation
(an art)
mainly qualitative
Hypotheses Testing
(a science)
mainly quantitative

13. What is Customer Discovery?

14. Who do I talk to and how do I find them?Favor qualitative over quantitative early on

15. What do I do once I’m with a prospective customer?Where does my greatest risk/uncertainty lie?

16. Learn, Build, Measure
Where does the greatest uncertainty lie and what is the
risk to the success of the venture?
What testable hypotheses can we form to de-risk this?
What data would we need to collect to confirm or
refute these hypotheses?
What experiments would we need to conduct in order
to collect that data?
Now go run these experiments.
Rinse and repeat...

17. Fidelity of the prototype = f(objective / constraints)

18. Three apps that will dramatically
accelerate your customer validation:

19. Fictitious Example
Why use this? To decouple emotionally from your idea
and focus on the CustDev discipline itself.
Sean’s crazy idea for a fall prevention mechanism in the
form of a rubberized shower curtain.

20. Need a volunteer!

21. Follow these three people:
Join LeanPhx.com
Sean Tierney
sean@grid7.com
@scrollinondubs
@grid7
480.221.5500
grid7.com
Office Hrs here
every Tues 3-5pm

22. Appendix