How can you validate customers without sacrificing quality?

The best way I've learned is to ask; How disappointed/miserable would you be if we discontinued? - Very disappointed/miserable - I'll manage - Not disappointed/miserable at all Most founders ask "are you happy", "does this solve your problem" or some version of the above. People generally want to be nice so will tell you what you want to hear. The ultimate goal of an MVP is to validate if people are willing to pay you. Not solving the problems is also a solution in some situations and/or customer segments.

An MVP doesn't always have to be a fully coded, working application. Many founders often leap from idea to hiring engineers and constructing an MVP, which is the slowest and most expensive method to validate their hypothesis. Instead, consider hiring a skilled designer and collaborating on iterations in Figma with both the designer and early potential customers, using a prototype design. Once you have something you perceive as valuable and useful, then proceed with the actual development.

?? Should you validate a minimum viable product (MVP) before completing the full scope? "I want it to be perfect" "I want to give my clients everything" "I want to completely solve the problem" It used to be that we built software mostly using what’s called a Waterfall approach - all requirements up front, heads down coding, then voila the grand reveal! We have since come to learn that using an "Agile" approach to create a minimum viable product (MVP) is the better way to go because it’s: - faster to market - more cost effective - responsive to changing client needs k market conditions - better meets stakeholder expectations Next time you start to build, keep it simple & validate it with your clients early. ?? Like to support this

Starting with an MVP is way too late, to really validate an idea you need to go much sooner to make sure you don't build or offer the wrong thing. Selling an idea is possible and will make you a better founder and can save a lot of time and money in the long run.

The only validation is when you have customers willing to pay for the product/service. If people start paying for the first version of the MVP its a high probability situation that your offering is trying solve a pain point. If not you have not identified the correct pain point. Most founders fall in love with the offering on some technology charateristics and then try to find a problem to stick to the offering.

Customer validation is a multi-tool operation. Surveys are quick and can give you a broad view, but they're not foolproof. Poorly designed questions can lead you astray. Interviews offer depth that surveys can't. You get to dive into the 'why' behind customer behavior. But they're resource-intensive. Experiments are your real-world litmus tests. Whether it's A/B testing or a pilot program, they show you how customers actually behave. But be cautious; poorly designed experiments can give misleading results. The key is to mix and match these methods based on your specific needs. Each has its pros and cons, but together they offer a 360-degree view of what your customer really wants.

Conduct A/B testing to compare variations of a product or service among different user groups. This method helps identify which version performs better based on user behavior, preferences, and engagement metrics. Implement controlled experiments with distinct features or designs, allowing for data-driven decisions and iterative improvements while minimizing the impact on the overall user experience.

In the quest to understand customers, novel approaches can provide profound insights: 1. Ethnographic Observation: Immerse in their environment, capturing unspoken needs. 2. User Diaries: Let them chronicle experiences, unveiling patterns. 3. Netnography: Explore online communities and social media to gauge sentiments. 4. Prototype Testing: Use rudimentary versions to collect reactions. 5. Feedback Loops: Embed mechanisms in your product for continuous input. 6. Collaborative Workshops: Blend their insights with your expertise. Deep understanding emerges when we truly connect, aligning our visions with their lived experiences.

PRETOTYPE AND TEST LIKE TESLA As innovation facilitator I like to share how Tesla interested buyers for their first car. In 2003, the founders of Tesla had an ambitious idea (an all-electric 2-door sports car). In order to convince potential buyers to order its car, Tesla created a pretotype of what the car would look like. Lotus supplied Tesla with a ‘glider’ Elise - which was filled with models of key components. This was not a prototype, because the vehicle didn’t function. Tesla was able to show buyers a close proxy for the final design. Tesla asked “Will you put down a $5,000 deposit to have it built to order?” From this test Tesla secured several hundred deposits, a non-trivial result to reassure their Investors.

Here's what else you need to do. Try grouping your customers (or potential customers) based on segments and analyse your cohort performance. Especially in the beginning, you need to be super niche. You achieve stickiness by learning to say 'no' This is why it's important to do things that don't scale. You see how different customer segments interact with your product/service. The sooner you identify your niche the faster you can launch a Product-led Growth strategy and a Marketing-led Growth strategy. This helps you avoid throwing the kitchen sink and allows you to reduce your burn.

Customer validation is an ongoing dialogue, not a one-off conversation. Start early, even before your product exists, to shape its development. Keep the conversation going, particularly when you update your product or pivot your market focus. The benefits are twofold: you sidestep the pitfall of building something no one wants, and you stay nimble enough to adapt to shifting customer needs. In a fast-paced market, continuous validation isn't just smart; it's survival. It keeps you aligned with customer needs and one step ahead of competitors.

Market and User Validation stands out as the most important way to test a product. One of the most apt ways is to check out with the users, about how will they solve the problem in case your product closes out. This valuation is a pivotal moment in the journey of a product, which helps the founders understand: - if the product has achieved PMF - competitive landscape - if the product is a Delta-4 (as per the famous Kunal Shah’s theory) It is crucial how to tackle this validation technique, but the results may be worth the efforts.

Continuous test and validate your product at each stage of development with real users to gather feedback early and frequently, ensuring that the product evolves in alignment with user needs and maintains high quality. Also, Establish ongoing communication channels with users to collect their insights and opinions regularly, allowing for prompt adjustments and improvements that keep the product relevant and valuable.

Validating our product with customers is crucial for the success-time task but a continuous process. Early valid of our startup. It is not a oneation helps us to understand the genuine needs of our customers and align our product accordingly, which saves resources. Regular validation enables us to adapt to changing market dynamics and customer preferences, ensuring that we stay ahead. Additionally, it fosters a customer-centric culture within our organization, which allows us to provide solutions that truly add value.

Validating customers without compromising quality involves an iterative process of continuous validation. Start by validating customer needs even before product development. Regularly reassess and validate as you refine your product or market. This approach minimizes resource wastage on unwanted solutions and enables agility in responding to evolving customer demands, keeping you competitive and aligned with market needs.

Facing hurdles in customer validation is par for the course. Negative feedback, low engagement, or mixed signals aren't setbacks; they're learning opportunities. Dive into the 'why' behind these challenges. Is your value proposition unclear? Are you targeting the wrong audience? Use these insights to refine your assumptions and product strategy. In the startup world, failure isn't the opposite of success; it's a stepping stone to it. Each hiccup is a chance to fine-tune your offering and deliver a product that truly resonates with your audience.

It may sound counterintuitive, but failure is more valuable for progress than success. When something is wrong, it motivates us to look for reasons, explore insights, and find solutions. Embrace the art of using failures as fuel for growth.

Los resultados negativos o decepcionantes en las validaciones con clientes son increíblemente valiosos para startups, aún cuando sea difícil aceptarlos. Por ejemplo: Un emprendimiento peruano de chocolates artesanales asumió que extranjeros estarían dispuestos a pagar primas altas; pero experimentos en ferias demostraron que pocos repetirían compras tras probar muestras gratis. Este doloroso aprendizaje los forzó a pivotar hacia el mercado local. En lugar de rechazar evidencia contradictoria, las startups deben analizar fallas para reformular soluciones y experiencias posta deseadas por clientes reales. La validación es una conversación para co-crear.

Embracing failure and rejection as opportunities for growth is a crucial skill for any startup founder. Failing fast and learning from those failures are essential steps toward improvement. For example, in recipe-sharing app, we initially added a complex meal planning feature. However, user feedback showed they wanted personalized recipe recommendations instead. So, we pivoted quickly, refining this feature. By offering tailored suggestions, we boosted user engagement, showing the importance of adapting to user needs swiftly.

Failure is great because it is a completion of something. Much better than being stuck between potential success and potential failure. The pendulum can only swing one way from the current situation.

Team and stakeholder involvement is essential as innovation sprouts from the grassroot level and not just flowing from top to bottom. Understanding customer needs and observing them through various perspectives across the organisation can deem effective to innovate in a wholesome manner. Although, something to be cautious about are the challenges of group biases. As team members and stakeholders belong from the same group (i.e. company); group biases shall be prevalent. An external expertise or observational consultant, who can bring objectivity and facilitate the collaboration between the team and customers is essential to mitigate any biases that might be projected by the team to solve customer jobs to be done!

I encourage my teams to validate everything they build even before they build it. Inside knowledge is very biased, and there is always a risk of spending time and resources on creating a feature or product users don't want at all.

In the journey of MVP development, involving your team and stakeholders can be transformative beyond just validation. It's an opportunity to democratize innovation, where diverse viewpoints intersect to refine the product. By embracing a culture of inclusivity, you validate ideas and nurture a sense of ownership among stakeholders. This shared responsibility fosters empathy towards end-users and instills a collective drive to deliver value. In essence, involving your team and stakeholders transcends mere validation; it's about co-creating a solution that resonates deeply with the market while fostering internal cohesion and purpose.

Validar supuestos sobre clientes no debe ser una tarea aislada del fundador, sino un esfuerzo colaborativo de todo el equipo junto a inversionistas; por ejemplo, una fintech que asesoré involucró a sus developers y asesores financieros para cocrear experimentos ágiles que probaran disposición a pagar y frecuencia de uso de potenciales usuarios. Esta retroalimentación multicapa les permitió pivotar oportunamente a un nuevo segmento, alineando expectativas internas sobre la propuesta de valor más relevante. Abordar validación como un proceso colectivo e iterativo fortalece la orientación al cliente y la capacidad innovadora.

Collaboration is important in every aspect of your business and this is no exception. Diversity of thought is key to success. Fostering this attitude in customer validation will be useful in analysing data and providing viewpoints to help improve the business performance. Innovation in a startup is normally out of collaboration and a great team environment. The smaller the startup, the easier it will be to have this environment. The more you practice this, the easier it will become to maintain this as you become a larger organisation.

Consider the timing and context of your validation efforts. Market conditions, seasonal trends, or external events can influence customer behavior and feedback. Factor these into your analysis to avoid skewed results. Also, diversify your validation sources. Don't rely solely on early adopters; their needs may not represent your broader target market. And don't forget to validate internally. Your team's insights can be invaluable, especially if they interact directly with customers. Lastly, be prepared to go back to the drawing board. Validation might reveal that a pivot is necessary. Being flexible and open to major changes is crucial for long-term success.

Not all customers are cut from the same cloth. Every product follows the Product Adoption Curve. Hence you need to identify the qualities that are attributed to Innovators. If you seek feedback from the Early Majority, Late Majority or Laggards, you might receive feedback that's good but expensive and time consuming to implement. Hence, focus on customer segments. Pay attention to both demographic and psychographic elements.

To validate customers effectively without compromising quality beyond using MVPs, choosing the right methods, validating early and often, learning from failures, and involving stakeholders, one can conduct A/B testing, offer free trials, engage in customer co-creation, leverage early adopters, and establish customer advisory boards. These approaches ensure informed decisions, customer-centric solutions, and sustainable business growth.

Please look at the importance of resilience and adaptability when developing your MVP. Challenges are inevitable, but they offer valuable insights into your product's viability. Embrace failures as opportunities to iterate and improve your MVP. Stay agile, pivot when necessary, and foster a culture of innovation within your team. Every obstacle encountered during MVP development is a chance to refine your product and strengthen your startup's foundation.

I think quality is inherently the wrong framing. Early on you are optimizing for learning and speed to learning. Quality is only valuable when it helps you get to the right answer more quickly or more certainly