How can you compare customer discovery methods and frameworks?

1 Define your goals

The first step to compare customer discovery methods and frameworks is to define your goals and objectives. What are you trying to learn from your potential customers? What are the assumptions you need to test? What are the metrics you want to measure? Depending on your answers, you might need different methods and frameworks to achieve your goals. For example, if you want to explore a new problem space, you might use a more exploratory and qualitative method, such as interviews or observations. If you want to test a specific hypothesis, you might use a more experimental and quantitative method, such as surveys or experiments.

2 Review the options

The second step to compare customer discovery methods and frameworks is to review the options available and understand their features and limitations. Lean Startup is a methodology that focuses on building, measuring, and learning from a minimum viable product (MVP) to validate product-market fit. Jobs-to-be-Done is a framework that helps you understand customer needs and motivations, and design a value proposition that aligns with their jobs, pains, and gains. Customer Development is a process that helps you discover and validate customer segments, their problems, and your solution. It consists of four stages: customer discovery, customer validation, customer creation, and company building. Design Thinking is a mindset and approach that helps you empathize with customers, define their problems, ideate solutions, prototype, and test - fostering creativity and innovation to solve complex and ambiguous problems.

3 Compare the criteria

When comparing customer discovery methods and frameworks, it's important to take into account criteria that are relevant for your project. This includes the time needed to implement each method or framework, the cost associated with it, the scope of the method or framework and how deep it goes, the quality of the results you can expect, and how flexible and adjustable each method or framework is. Additionally, you should consider how much time and budget you have available for customer discovery, as well as how much room you have for experimentation and iteration.

4 Evaluate the trade-offs

The fourth step to compare customer discovery methods and frameworks is to evaluate the trade-offs and make a decision. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for customer discovery, and each method and framework has its pros and cons. You need to weigh the benefits and costs of each option, and consider how they fit with your goals, resources, and constraints. You might also use a combination of methods and frameworks, depending on the stage and scope of your project. For example, you might use Lean Startup to test your MVP, Jobs-to-be-Done to refine your value proposition, Customer Development to validate your business model, and Design Thinking to generate new ideas.

5 Implement and iterate

The fifth step to compare customer discovery methods and frameworks is to implement your chosen option and iterate based on the feedback and results. Customer discovery is not a one-time activity, but a continuous and iterative process. You need to constantly monitor and measure your progress, and adjust your strategy and tactics accordingly. You also need to be open to learning from your customers, and be willing to pivot or persevere based on the evidence. Customer discovery is not a linear or predictable process, but a dynamic and uncertain one. You need to be flexible and agile, and embrace experimentation and failure as part of the journey.

6 Learn and improve

The sixth and final step to compare customer discovery methods and frameworks is to learn from your experience and improve your skills and knowledge. Customer discovery is not only a process, but also a skill and a mindset. You need to reflect on what worked and what didn't, and what you can do better next time. You also need to keep up with the latest trends and best practices, and seek feedback and guidance from experts and peers. Customer discovery is not a solo or static activity, but a collaborative and evolving one. You need to be curious and humble, and seek to improve your product and yourself.

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?