How can you validate value propositions for mobile apps?

2 Value proposition canvas

One of the tools that you can use to design and validate your value proposition for mobile apps is the value proposition canvas. The value proposition canvas is a framework that helps you understand your customer segments, their jobs, pains, and gains, and how your app can create value for them. The value proposition canvas consists of two parts: the customer profile and the value map. The customer profile describes who your customers are, what they are trying to achieve, what problems and frustrations they have, and what benefits and outcomes they desire. The value map describes how your app features, benefits, and experiences can address the customer's jobs, pains, and gains, and how they can differentiate from other alternatives.

3 Customer discovery

Customer discovery is the process of finding and talking to your target customers and validating your assumptions and hypotheses about their needs, preferences, and behaviors. Customer discovery can help you validate your value proposition by providing you with qualitative and quantitative data and feedback. Customer discovery can be done in various ways, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, experiments, and landing pages. The goal of customer discovery is to test your problem-solution fit, which means verifying that your app solves a real and important problem for your customers, and that they are willing to pay for it.

5 Pivot or persevere

Pivot or persevere is the decision that you have to make after validating your value proposition with customer discovery and customer validation. Based on the data and feedback that you have collected, you have to decide whether to continue with your current value proposition, or to change it based on the new insights and learnings. A pivot is a strategic change in one or more elements of your value proposition, such as your customer segment, your problem, your solution, or your revenue model. A pivot can help you find a better fit between your app and your market, and increase your chances of success. A persevere is a commitment to your current value proposition, based on the evidence that you have validated it with your customers, and that you have achieved product-market fit.

6 Lean validation cycle

The lean validation cycle is a continuous and iterative process of designing, testing, and learning from your value proposition for mobile apps. The lean validation cycle consists of four steps: build, measure, learn, and decide. In the build step, you create your value proposition canvas, your app prototype or MVP, and your customer discovery and validation plans. In the measure step, you execute your customer discovery and validation activities, and collect data and feedback from your customers. In the learn step, you analyze and interpret the data and feedback, and generate insights and hypotheses. In the decide step, you evaluate and validate your value proposition, and decide whether to pivot or persevere. The lean validation cycle can help you reduce the risk and uncertainty of developing a mobile app, and increase the value and efficiency of your product development.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?