How to Know if Your Idea’s the Right One

As a founder, your startup idea might be brilliant in your mind, but how do you know if it truly resonates with potential customers?

Jeanette Mellinger , Head of UXR at BetterUp and former UXR Lead at Uber Eats , offers an invaluable three-step playbook for early-stage customer discovery that can transform your idea into a market-ready product.

Here’s a sneak peek into her approach:

1. Form a Research Plan ??

Before diving into interviews, narrow down your focus.

Ask yourself: What decision do I want to make next?

Prioritize quality over quantity by carefully selecting your interviewees.

Think in terms of research sprints, focusing on 5-8 targeted conversations at a time to gain deep insights.

2. Conduct Bias-Free Research ??

Bias can skew your data, leading to faulty conclusions. Mellinger highlights common biases to watch out for:

• Confirmation Bias: Avoid leading questions. Instead of asking, “Is this easy to use?” say, “Tell me about your experience with this.”
• Acquiescence Bias: Don’t reveal too much about your product upfront to avoid people-pleasing responses. Start broad and gradually narrow your questions.
• Hindsight Bias: Focus on past behaviour rather than hypothetical future scenarios to get reliable insights.

3. Analyze Your Findings ??

Don’t just collect data—interpret it. Mellinger suggests a three-pronged approach:

• Post-Interview Huddles: Spend 15 minutes post-interview to jot down immediate thoughts and observations.
• Weekly Syntheses: Dedicate an hour each week to synthesize insights from multiple interviews.
• Comprehensive Analysis: Every few weeks, take a half-day to systematically review all your findings.

Wrapping Up: Be Intentional ??

The goal is not to get superficial validation from friends and family but to deeply understand your target audience’s needs and pain points.

Jeanette Mellinger’s guide equips founders with the tools to approach early-stage customer discovery methodically and effectively, ensuring you build something users genuinely want.

?? Jump into the full article here: https://review.firstround.com/how-to-know-if-your-ideas-the-right-one-a-founders-guide-for-successful-early-stage-customer-discovery/