Find others who share your problem and ask them how they’re currently solving it
“If you’re going to solve a problem, you want sufficient information to solve it.” Erika Hall — MULE DESIGN (via Principles of Product Design, Invision)
OK. Up until now, you’ve been forming educated hypotheses and drawing logical conclusions based on what you know.
But the end goal is to connect and cross-check with real people. These are the “people with the problem.” Would-be customers. So let’s get to it.
Doing this right is wildly important for a few reasons:
You’re your first customer, but you need more than one. By offering your service, you’ll be able to solve something you have a problem with. That’s great, but do others have the same problem? Is there actually a market to serve here? Will your eventual solution address things in a way that helps someone else as well as yourself?
You won’t be able to make strong business decisions if you don’t “get” the people your business is trying to help. Remember Airbnb? They “got” their would-be customers and were therefore able to succeed despite the odds.
“Having a clear picture of your problem space also lets you understand who your competitors really are – what other ways your customers can solve the problem you’re solving. Often you’ll find it’s not the other startup in the space but something as prosaic as pen and paper or Excel spreadsheets.” – Martin Eriksson, Mind the Product co-founder/Dan Olsen
As you tie the problem to other people and their experiences, you’ll get a better sense of how you should respond to the issue you’ve uncovered.
Conduct interviews and learn if people care enough to do something about it. Are they already doing something about it? What’s the solution they currently employ? How can you do it better?
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Leverage interviews to get the information you need
Instead of jumping to “help” those asking for it, back that process up. Here’s a simple method to find the problems hidden (or not so hidden!) at the core of your future customers’ pleas for help.
Conduct your preliminary market research.
You absolutely must be familiar with the industry with which you'll be working.
Google things, browse the forums that pop up, download and read a whole ebook, watch some YouTube videos, binge a podcast series. Use whatever means floats your boat.
For a starting point, investigate:
What do businesses in this space deliver? Example: A creative agency might focus on script treatments, website copy, handling media production, or brand assets.
What are the different functions and hierarchies of the businesses? Example: Some small agencies have a flat hierarchy of independent creatives, while others might go from account managers to creative consultants to freelance help.
What kinds of terminology and technology (or materials or hardware or vendors) do you need to be familiar with? Example: If you’re starting a web design agency for startups, you should probably be familiar with all the website builders out there, as well as the terminology around site structure. ATF (above-the-fold) anyone?
And to figure out how people are already tackling this problem, find the answers to these:· Who else is working to solve this problem for people?· Who are their customers?· Is this a challenge people are talking about?· Is there anyone else challenged by it you might not expect?
2. Find out where “your people” congregate and go there.
People are more willing to ask for help, or share details of the problem, when they feel safe and understood among peers.
You probably know a few in your own niche already. Think of online groups or forums. They might hang out on Slack, Facebook, LinkedIn, Discord. It might be a message board or community attached to a website.
3. Pinpoint the one question you need answered to validate your problem.
The eternal words of Rob Fitzpatrick ring out:
“Every time you talk to someone, you should be asking a question which has the potential to completely destroy your currently imagined business.”
Say you want to provide specialized copywriting services. (Think back to our B2B-flavored problem statement.) Stay away from questions like “Would you use X for Y reasons?” or “Would you pay to get help with Z?” These are pointed, but too narrow to be your big pressing ask.
Instead try: “What process do you use to develop your brand’s messaging?”
4. Get your one question answered and hopefully a few more
“Trying to learn from customer conversations is like excavating a delicate archeological site. The truth is down there somewhere, but it’s fragile. While each blow with your shovel gets you closer to the truth, you’re liable to smash it into a million little pieces if you use too blunt an instrument.” – Rob Fitzpatrick, The Mom Test
Whether you’re sending DMs to individuals or starting with a public reply to a forum message referencing your specific problem, you’ll want to be as straightforward as possible. Try:
“That’s interesting! It’s such a difficult thing to navigate/etc. I’d be interested in hearing a little more about your experience actually, if you’re willing to share. Can I DM you?”
An affirmative is grounds for full steam ahead.
Remember to thank them for the chance to chat. Let them know you’re trying to learn more about “what happens when this thing” or “who’s struggling with that thing” in the industry.
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